Scientists, communities and government officials from five African countries agree that the freshwater fish stocks in the Kavango and Zambezi River systems are in severe trouble. Delegates representing all three of these stakeholder groups came together in Windhoek, Namibia in July 2024 to share their knowledge and find ways to address this urgent situation. The Kavango-Zambezi Trans-frontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) derives its name from two mighty rivers that flow through the five countries that are part of KAZA: Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. While this massive conservation area – spanning over half a million square kilometers – is best known for its huge elephant population and other charismatic wildlife on land, the rivers are its lifeblood. The Kavango River starts in the upper highlands of Angola (where it is known as the Cubango) and flows into the world-famous Okavango Delta in Botswana. Along the way, it forms part of the Namibia-Angola border and crosses Namibia at one of its narrowest points. The Zambezi River starts in Zambia, flows through Angola before re-entering Zambia, touches Namibia’s eastern tip and plunges over Victoria Falls (Mosi-oa-Tunya), forming the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe until it enters Mozambique. The Okavango River. Photo courtesy of Marcus Westberg. The Okavango Delta and Victoria Falls are two of the top tourist attractions in the region, and “Rivers of Life” is the aptly chosen brand for tourism in KAZA. Nonetheless, tourism wasn’t the main reason why community representatives, scientists and government officials from the KAZA countries…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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