The long-term sustainability of Matusadona National Park can only be achieved through the active participation and engagement with local communities and local authorities. The overarching objective that began in 2019 has continued with the implementation of a strong community engagement programme that ensures that local communities are informed about, benefit from and support the protection of this vast wilderness area.
Of Matusadona’s employees, 62% hail from the four chiefdoms and 163 of 164 staff are Zimbabwean.
Community Engagement
We work together with local communities to understand the challenges and concerns that come from living in this area. Such an approach aims to ensure that benefits flow from protecting this area with limited costs. This is ongoing with our community engagement team who are creating awareness and fostering knowledge among community members about wildlife conservation and its benefits. Three years of positive engagement have begun to show results, with a strong sense of community buy-in.
A Land Use Plan is being undertaken by Matusadona together with the local Rural District Council, traditional leaders and communities, which will incorporate the needs of both people and wildlife. Through inclusive conversations, meaningful and actionable solutions are being found to address land degradation, for sustainable and legal land use and to gain insight into the future needs of communities. Once implemented, the Land Use Plan will formally recognise wildlife corridors and community wildlife conservancies in the Nyaminyami Rural District with designated zones for sustainable agricultural production, reduced human-wildlife conflict (HWC), potential community-run tourism and revenue generation, and funding opportunities for socio-economic projects.
Education and Environmental Awareness
Environmental education is being emphasised through the creation of wildlife clubs, school visits to the park, and providing access for community members to Matusadona, facilitating their wildlife experience, and demonstrating the importance of biodiversity conservation.
Bursaries have been awarded to 28 disadvantaged students at risk of leaving school, and over 100 students visited the park through the Environmental and Young Rangers programme. Over 200 students are members of seven wildlife clubs. Over 13,000 children a year are being reached through the Reading Around the Reserve Programme in collaboration with Book Aid International.
Sustainable Enterprise Development
Income-generating projects, such as honey production, sewing groups and chicken farming projects, are providing an alternative to dependence on park resources.
With revived fish stocks, the legal fishing camps have become a major financial benefit to communities, as fishermen are able to access protected commercial fishing grounds. As a result, many are beginning to see the direct benefits of sustainable utilisation, not only in improved catches, but also through the support of rangers who protect their fisheries from illegal operators. The two fishing camps inside the park average between 36 and 40 tonnes of harvest each month, generating income that is three to four times higher than the unregulated fishing camps.
The “Fish to Fork” is a pilot scheme in King’s Camp, a fishing community residing within the park. The project’s objective is to see better, more equitable, returns for the local fishing community and once realised, to expand to fishing camps outside of the park.
In a landscape that is shared by people and wildlife, human-wildlife conflict is a major focus. Crop damage by elephant and predation on cattle and goats by hyaena and lion – due to poor land-use planning and illegal expansion of agriculture into wildlife areas – continues to cause conflict. Projects such as chilli growing and use of chilli oils for fencing as well as working with a local NGO, Wildlife Conservation Action, in providing canvas bomas to secure livestock at night are all possible solutions that are being worked on.