LIVINGSTONE, ZAMBIA: The inaugural Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA) Heads of State Summit entered its second day today, with technical officials presenting on the condition of the world's most elephant-populated rangeland.
KAZA aerial survey coordinator Darren Potgieter led a panel discussion on technical issues within the region, focusing on their policy and management implications.
The KAZA region, a 520,000-square-kilometer wetland paradise spanning Botswana, Angola, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, completed its first combined elephant census last year. The survey found the elephant populations in the area to be stable, with an estimated 230,000 elephants, forming the world's largest continuous population.
During the summit, Zambia's principal ecologist Twakundine Simpamba highlighted the role of partner states in conducting the KAZA elephant survey. Last years census involved various partner states and organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund, the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, USAID, CITES, and the governments of Germany, the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, and the United States.
Dr. Anna Songhurst of Ecoexist, Botswana, provided insights on elephant movement and connectivity in the KAZA region, emphasizing key messages for policymakers.
Other panelists included Elly Hamunyela, Director of Scientific Services in Namibias Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, who discussed the CITES Convention and its implications for KAZA partner states.
Professor Edson Gandiwa, Director of Scientific Services in Zimbabwe, presented on managing elephants in a changing climate within a semi-arid landscape, sharing lessons from Zimbabwe and the KAZA region.
The KAZA Heads of State Summit began on Sunday and is set to conclude on Saturday.
The KAZA transfrontier conservation area is a collaborative initiative aimed at large-scale biodiversity conservation through integrated transboundary management, using nature-based tourism as a driver for rural economic growth and development.
