A recent article in the Africa Geographic magazine, (Zimbabwe Lifelines), is a stark reminder that apart from the tremendous human suffering and ongoing poverty in the country, the countries spectacular wildlife and natural areas are under severe pressure as well. The article focuses on the Mana Pools National Park, which is a protected area I have never visited but read so much about. Having being born and raised in Zimbabwe, I have a close tie to the country, and ongoing hope that the country will be restored to a prime international widlife tourism destination, and all the benefits to the local people that go with that. The park staff, who are responsible for managing the area and it's wildlife, are unable to feed themselves with a salary that is worthless and to purchase the fuel necessary for work in a remote location.
What is a bigger struggle in my mind is to grasp the disparity between conservation initiatives in other parts of the world, and the fact that existing proclaimed protected areas in Zimbabwe, are at risk of at worst deproclamation, but certainly ongoing massive deterioration of the natural ecosystem and associated wildlife. We celebrate the re-introduction of spawning salmon to a local river system off Lake Ontario, and yet existing parks in Zimbabwe comprising stable populations of Africa's megafauna are being destroyed. Obviously both are important, but I begin to wonder if there is any hope on a global scale of reducing the ongoing loss in biodiversity. The reality is that the loss of natural ecosystems in Zimbabwe will eventually cause more suffering for the people of Zimbabwe, if not already.
