Biodiversity conservation and community development in Chimanimani Conservation Area

The project aims to promote sustainable environmental management in the Chimanimani Conservation Area (ACC). At the level of the Chimanimani National Park, the project will support the conservation and enhancement of the natural and cultural heritage; in the buffer zone, the project will support the sustainable management of natural resources for the benefit of local communities. The aim of the project is therefore to achieve a balance between improving the socioeconomic conditions of local populations and striving to conserve natural resources and biodiversity while protecting the integrity of the National Park. Content: The project consists of four operational components and a support component for project management. Micaia Foundation will implement Components 2 and 3. Component 2 "Planning" provides for the strengthening of land rights for local communities, as a prerequisite for better management of land and natural resources. This will involve the delimitation of community lands at the level of families, and the development of Sustainable Territorial Management Plans. In addition, the Community Conservation Areas, which are currently inoperative, will be revitalized and will benefit from a local financing mechanism (Community Environmental Conservation Fund). Component 3 focuses on improving livelihoods based on non-timber forest products (NTFP). One part of the component is the further professionalization of beekeeping, with the aim of increasing the tonnage placed on the market and increasing the income of local communities. At the same time, two other NTFP value chains will be developed and accompanied by resource management plans.