rehabilitation of Kasungu National Park underway

(Lilongwe, Malawi – 28th October 2020) The much-awaited rehabilitation of the estimated 40 kilometers of the eastern boundary of Kasungu National Park is underway. So far, 12 kilometers of the fence has been completed.

The rehabilitation has been mooted as a technical solution for controlling Human Elephant Conflict (HEC), a longstanding problem in the villages around the park. The elephants and other wildlife species move out of the park into the surrounding villages, a situation that causes the HEC.

Loss of human life, several bodily injuries and destruction of granaries and crops are some of the challenges communities around the park are facing.

The fence consists of durable bonnox wire, electric wires, solar panels and energizers that will power the fence.

Strengthen the park through community action

USAID Acting Sustainable Economic Growth Office Director, Maurice Shines urges the community to take care of the fence.

“My expectation for the community is to remain engaged and to understand that they have a stake in this particular process. We are coming in to rehabilitate a fence that was constructed a while ago, this means that something did not work out. Nevertheless, we are here engaging the community and empowering them to take ownership of the fence,” Shines advises.

Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Culture Michael Usi says it is encouraging that the rehabilitation work is being done by both men and women from the surrounding communities.

“What is more exciting is that women have been given credit because they are doing much better than men,” he explains.

Out of the 150 community members that are rehabilitating the fence, 60 are women.

Patricio Ndadzela, Chief of Party for International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) Malawi-Zambia Transboundary Landscape Project had this to say “The fence rehabilitation is very important to our work at Kasungu National Park. Apart from eliminating HEC, it will also prevent poachers from illegally entering the park.”

In addition to that, the security of the park will also be enhanced, says Ndadzela who stated that the work is expected to be completed by July next year.

“As a project, we are optimistic that the rehabilitation of the fence will prevent tragic incidents around the park,” he says.

IFAW is implementing the project with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) with the aim of combatting wildlife crime in Malawi and Zambia through strengthened, coordinated, collaborative and innovative approaches.

Apart from the rehabilitation of the fence, the five-year project which started in 2017 and ends in 2022, is also building capacity for law enforcement agencies to ensure that poaching of elephants and other wildlife species are stopped.

Others include the rehabilitation of houses for rangers, provision of rations, economic empowerment for community members and the provision of environmental education to community members and school learners as a form of motivation for them to continue supporting conservation initiatives in the landscape.

IFAW works with the Department of National Park and Wildlife (DNPW) through its Combating Wildlife Crime in the Malawi-Zambia Transboundary Landscape project that focuses on anti-poaching and anti-trafficking initiatives, with support from USAID.