Zambezi River Basin

© Selous Niassa Corridor

Fishing is a key livelihood for the many residents of the planned Selous-Niassa TCFA.

Lower Zambezi-Mana Pools Trans Frontier Conservation Area The planned Lower Zambezi-Mana Pools TFCA between Zambia and Zimbabwe lies in the Zambezi Valley, and has long been used by wildlife as a thoroughfare between the Zambezi escarpment and the Zambezi River. The two national conservation areas lying opposite each other would combine to create a massive wildlife sanctuary on both sides of the Zambezi River. Mana Pools in Zimbabwe is aWorld Heritage Site with over 350 bird species and many aquatic wildlife species. These pools are remnant oxbow lakes carved out by the Zambezi River thousands of years ago as it changed its course. Hippopotamus, crocodiles and a wide variety of aquatic birds are found in the pools. Long Pool, the largest of the four pools, has a large population of hippopotamuses and crocodiles and is a favourite watering spot for large herds of elephants that come out of the thickly vegetated areas in the south to drink and bath. The Liuwa Plain-Mussuma Trans Frontier Conservation area between Angola and Zambia protects the third largest migratory population of blue wildebeest in Africa. Every year massive herds of blue wildebeest migrate from Zambia to Angola and back, traversing the plains in the thousands and mingling with zebras on migration. Liuwa Plain-Mussuma Trans Frontier Conservation Area

corridor for elephants in southern Tanzania and northern Mozambique. The Selous-Niassa Miombo woodland ecosystem covers 150 000 square kilometres and extends across southern Tanzania and into neighbouring Mozambique (Selous-Niassa Corridor Organisation 2010). The Selous-Niassa Transfrontier Conservation Areas covers the 47 000 square kilometre Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania, and the 42 400 square kilometre Niassa Game Reserve in Mozambique. The main species found in the TFCA are the elephant, buffalo, eland, sable antelope, hippopotamus, Lichtenstein hartebeest, common waterbuck, bushbuck, common duiker, southern reedbuck, wildebeest, zebra, impala, klipspringer, warthog and the bush pig. Leopards are common in the entire corridor. Lions are mainly concentrated in the northern part. Spotted hyena, jackal, civet cat and other carnivore species are also common. Packs of wild dogs are observed in all parts of the corridor. Malawi/ZambiaTrans Frontier ConservationArea The Malawi/Zambia Trans Frontier Conservation Area includes the Nyika conservation area, which is centred around a high undulating montane grassland plateau above the bushveld and wetlands of the Vwaza Marsh. The TCFA also incorporates the Kasungu/Lukusuzi, an area of importance for biodiversity conservation in the Central Zambezi Miombo Woodland eco-region. The Malawi/Zambia TFCA is famous for wild flowers and orchids, especially during summer.

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