“The signing of this agreement today is a significant milestone in our country’s efforts to preserve and promote our natural heritage for future generations.” His Excellency Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, President of the Republic of Malawi.
On the 16th of June, in the distinguished halls of the Malawian State House in Lilongwe, the Government of Malawi, through the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW), and Peace Parks Foundation signed a 20-year co-management agreement for Nyika National Park and Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve.
Co-management agreements such as this are an innovative model for sustainable conservation. Under this co-management agreement, an independent trust is set up to nurture and develop the conservation and sustainability of Nyika and Vwaza as one landscape. Central to this model is employing a business-like mindset and ensuring good governance through inclusive decision-making which also involves engaging local communities.
The historic signing of this co-management agreement builds on an already solid relationship between Peace Parks and the Government of Malawi. Funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development through the German Development Bank, KfW, the DNWP and Peace Parks have been working relentlessly to conserve and capacitate Nyika and Vwaza since the signing of the Malawi-Zambia Transfrontier Conservation Area Treaty in 2015.
In his address at this momentous occasion, Peace Parks CEO Werner Myburgh captured the importance of it:
“It is estimated that Nyika and Vwaza together contribute as much as 10% of the annual water catchment for Lake Malawi, on which more than 10 million people are directly dependent for their livelihoods. To safeguard such a critically important ecosystem through this long-term co-management agreement where government, communities, and the private sector join forces paves the way for a new and inclusive governance model for conserving large landscapes in Africa.”
To learn more about the astonishingly biodiverse Nyika National Park and Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve and their ongoing community development initiatives, visit peaceparks.org/parks/nyika-north-luangwa.
