[{"bbox": [96, 151, 1164, 287], "category": "Text", "text": "disproportionate HWC burden due to their high vulnerability to health and economic losses⁴. The intervention will encompass a suite of climate-adaptation elements, linked to decreased vulnerability of rural communities to climate-exhacerbated factors already described. Climate change mitigation actions will focus on decreasing pressure over natural forests⁵, combined with the use of renewable energies and will also get a contribution from increased soil carbon content thanks to soil health practices and agroecology."}, {"bbox": [96, 311, 1164, 578], "category": "Text", "text": "The EU is the reference actor and donor for wildlife conservation interventions in Africa through its strategy defined in the \"Larger than Elephants\" document since 2016. Furthermore, it is the preferred partner for interventions in the two selected landscapes as reflected in the requests for support from ZimParks, in the dialogue with the Ministry of Environment and with the project implementing institutions on the ground. The EU has funded actions through regional (NaturAfrica and Sustainable Wildlife Management) and bilateral programmes in these landscapes, which are part of two important Trans-Frontier Conservation Areas (TFCA). Through bilateral projects the EU has funded interventions in transboundary natural resource management both in the Mid-Zambezi and Gonarezhou National Park and surrounding areas. The co-management model in Gonarezhou is the reference for national authorities given its success and the model has been replicated in Matusadona National Park and is being explored for the management of Hwange National Park."}, {"bbox": [96, 602, 1164, 658], "category": "Text", "text": "Two major landscapes were identified for interventions that will strengthen resilience of communities and enhance natural resources management:"}, {"bbox": [143, 680, 1164, 1132], "category": "Text", "text": "**South East Lowveld (SEL).** The South East Lowveld region lies within agro-ecological region V⁶ of Zimbabwe where dryland agriculture is severely constrained by the low rainfall and attempts to practice it in traditional ways give rise to serious land degradation. The livelihoods of the majority of rural households therefore require significant subsidization in the form of earnings remitted from other areas along with frequent food aid. No single sector of economic activity in the Lowveld can be expected to resolve the overall situation of declining natural capital and decreasing food security, especially in the face of climate change: a diversified economy is essential. Reliance of subsistence communities on inappropriate, unimproved dry-land slash and burn agriculture, coupled with inappropriate crops (priority is still given to maize despite its unsuitability to this agro ecological zone), means that annual crop failures have become the norm in this landscape resulting in chronic food insecurity and malnutrition. Of particular relevance for this action is the so-called *Sengwe-Tchipise Wilderness Corridor*. This ecological corridor connects Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe with Kruger National Park in South Africa. Zimbabwe signed the treaty to establish the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park formally committing to establish a wildlife corridor linking the Kruger and Gonarezhou National Parks⁷. Despite the Sengwe Tchipise Corridor having been designated in 2002 with a comprehensive land-use plan agreed and gazetted in 2009, an EU-funded assessment of the corridor conducted in 2020-2021 found that in fact very little progress had actually been realised in developing the ecotourism and livelihood development plans promised to local communities."}, {"bbox": [143, 1158, 1164, 1320], "category": "Text", "text": "**Mid Zambezi Valley (MZV).** The Mid Zambezi Valley landscape covers 12,774 km² of protected area (PA) including five Safari Areas (Chewore, Hurungwe, Dande, Doma, and Sapi), two recreational Parks (Chinhoyi Caves and Lake Kariba), two National Parks (Mana Pools and Matusadona) and surrounded by the Hurungwe, Mbire, Muzarabani and Makonde rural districts. It is host to a wide range of large mammals and carnivores. Mana Pools National Park (MPNP) forms the core area of the Mid Zambezi Valley Biosphere Reserve, a World Heritage Site and it is designated as a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance."}, {"bbox": [85, 1380, 1143, 1429], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁴ UNDP (2018). Strengthening Biodiversity and Ecosystems Management and Climate-Smart Landscapes in the Mid to Lower Zambezi Region of Zimbabwe: Project Document for nationally implemented projects financed by GEF Trust Fund"}, {"bbox": [85, 1428, 1143, 1478], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁵ UNDP (2022) reported 1.64% as the deforestation rate for Zimbabwe. Main direct drivers of deforestation are firewood collection, new settlements, agriculture, wildfires and tobacco curing."}, {"bbox": [85, 1477, 1143, 1598], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁶ Zimbabwe is divided into five agro-ecological regions based on a combination of factors including: rainfall regimes, temperatures, quantity and variability of average rainfall as well as soil quality and natural vegetation. The suitability of cropping declines from Region I to Region V. In regions IV and V rainfall is below 650 mm per annum. Regions I, II and III have climatic conditions for intensive crop and animal production, while regions IV and V are only suitable for extensive livestock production (not for agricultural production in absence of irrigation)."}, {"bbox": [85, 1597, 1143, 1647], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁷ The Presidents of Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe signed the international Treaty for the establishment of Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park in 2002."}, {"bbox": [1038, 1681, 1143, 1706], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 7 of 31"}]