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©Livingstone Adventures 2018

Introduction

The Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls World Heritage property was granted World Heritage status on 15 December 1989 after the States Parties of Zambia and Zimbabwe submitted a joint nomination dossier to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. The property was recognized for its ongoing geological processes, unique geomorphological formations and exceptional natural beauty, displayed through high water spray, daytime rainbows and distinctive lunar rainbows; these attributes convey the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) under criteria (vii) and (viii). The Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls has the widest curtain of waterfalls in the world, measuring 1,706 m, while its deepest point is 108 m. The property is renowned as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, and the only one of this status in Africa. It is a tourism icon for the two States Parties, and for Africa as a whole.

Over the years, Zambia and Zimbabwe have developed and maintained cordial relations in managing a property of such magnitude, despite differences in institutional and national policies. This has been achieved by a mutual recognition, respect and passion for managing and preserving the property’s OUV. Appropriate management structures have been developed and implemented to ensure effective management of the property. These structures are discussed in detail in this paper.

The management system: Working across borders

Property location

The Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls World Heritage property is located on either side of the mighty Zambezi River, in the southern part of Zambia and the north-western part of Zimbabwe. The property straddles the river – the fourth longest in Africa – which flows from the north-western provinces of Zambia, covering a distance of 1,300 km before plunging into the Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls (Zulu, 2020). The property is located at 17°55′28″ S/25°51′24″ E at an altitude of 915 m and extends over 6,860 ha. In Zambia, the property is comprised of the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, covering 3,779 ha. The Victoria Falls National Park and Zambezi National Park in Zimbabwe cover 2,340 ha and 741 ha, respectively. The total area includes all the river islands as far as Palm and Kandahar islands upstream of the falls.

The legislative framework: Zambia and Zimbabwe

The States Parties of Zambia and Zimbabwe have protected the Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls as a national monument using their respective legal instruments since the 1930s. By 1937, the Victoria Falls National Park on the Southern Rhodesian side (now Zimbabwe) was established and administered by the Forestry Commission at that time; the falls were divided into the Southern Bank (Zimbabwean side) and the Northern Bank (Zambian side). The division aimed at protecting both the cultural and natural values embedded in the property (Makuvaza, 2012, pg. 43) until it was declared a World Heritage property in 1989. The management of the property has been driven by two government institutions on both sides; however, other governmental and non-governmental institutions have also been involved.

National legislative framework – Zambia

The National Heritage Conservation Commission (NHCC) is a government institution under the Ministry of Tourism and Arts (MOTA), charged with the responsibility of identifying, conserving and managing all of Zambia’s immovable cultural and natural heritage (NHCC Act No. 173), including the Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls World Heritage property. Zambia has a well-developed legal policy and institutional framework to regulate social and economic activities that have an impact on the natural environment. For effective management of the property, other pieces of legislation are used, including: the Zambia Environmental Agency, Town and Country Planning Act; Public Health Act; the Zambia Wildlife Act; the Forests Act; and the Energy Regulation Act. While Zambia has been reviewing and improving these legal instruments to attain sustainable tourism, there have been conflicting institutional interests due to overlaps in respective mandates.

National legislative framework – Zimbabwe

The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZIMPARKS), under the Ministry of Environment, is responsible for managing the Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls World Heritage property on behalf of the State Party. The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) is the implementing arm for the Ministry of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry.

Over the years, debates as to who should manage the Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls World Heritage property have arisen between ZIMPARKS and National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe (NMMZ) (Makuvaza, 2012). ZIMPARKS have been managing the property since 1952, when part of the Victoria Falls National Park was established. On the other hand, the NMMZ, charged with managing national monuments and heritage properties in the country, claims to be the rightful institution to manage the property (Makuvaza, 2012, pg. 3).

The opposite has been the case on the Zambian side, where the NHCC, charged with the responsibility of conserving and managing immovable cultural and natural heritage, is managing the Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls World Heritage property located in a ‘national park’ unlike the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW), which is responsible for managing national parks.

Despite contentious debates as to who should manage the property, institutions have, over time, developed an understanding and have supported each other in their work. This has been achieved by the deliberate recognition and inclusion of all stakeholders in decision-making and in the general management of the property.

Mosi-Oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls management plans

Joint Integrated Management Plan (JIMP) 2018–2022

In line with the UNESCO Operational Guidelines and the 1972 World Heritage Convention,Footnote 1 the States Parties of Zambia and Zimbabwe have developed and implemented the Joint Integrated Management Plan 2018–2022 as a guide for the sustainable protection of the property’s OUV. The plan was published after a series of consultative meetings between public and private institutions, and other concerned parties. The plan is reviewed periodically by the two States Parties in consultation with stakeholders and the communities at large. The States Parties actively use this important tool to guide management operations in upholding the OUV.

Joint Sustainable Tourism Plan (JSTP) 2017

To effectively manage and conserve the natural and cultural values of the Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls, the Joint Sustainable Tourism Plan was developed to guide the tourism development and marketing of the destination by the States Parties. The development of this plan was guided by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the JIMP (2018–2022), and aims to create mutual benefits from tourism for the local communities, while promoting landscape-level ecosystem management and transnational initiatives to mitigate its negative impacts (Joint Technical Committee, 2018, pg. 1). Further, the plan proposes tourism infrastructure and activity developments aimed at reaching global tourism markets (Joint Technical Committee, 2017, pg. 2).

Joint Sustainable Financing and Business Plan (JSFBP) 2019

The two States Parties of Zambia and Zimbabwe are in the process of developing the Joint Sustainable Financing and Business Plan, with a focus on creating multiple income streams to aid the protection of property’s OUV and increase the socio-economic benefits of conservation for local communities (Joint Technical Committee, 2019, pg. 6). The plan aims to address issues of benefit sharing and participation in day-to-day conservation with the immediate communities living around the property (Joint Technical Committee, 2019, pg. 1).

The joint management structure of the property

The Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls World Heritage property has for years sustained peaceful bilateral relations between the States Parties thanks to well-developed management structures. The established structures are comprised of joint ministerial, joint technical and joint site management committees following technical guidance from the World Heritage Centre and UNESCO advisory bodies. The committees have different mandates and terms of reference focused on implementing the Joint Integrated Management Plan 2018–2022, the 1972 World Heritage Convention and the Operational Guidelines.

The Joint Ministerial Committee

The Joint Ministerial Committee is comprised of ministers responsible for managing tourism in the respective countries. The committee is required to meet once a year to deliberate on management agendas raised by the Joint Technical Committee. The committee deliberates on issues aimed at preserving the property at interstate level, while maintaining bilateral relations.

The Joint Technical Committee

The Joint Technical Committee is comprised of institutional principals, technocrats and selected stakeholders from both States Parties. The committee analyses policy issues and advises ministers and the Joint Site Management Committee on best conservation and management practices. The committee, together with the Joint Site Management Committee, responds to concerns raised by the World Heritage Centre. The committee is co-chaired by UNESCO National Committees from both States Parties.

The Joint Site Management Committee

The Joint Site Management Committee is comprised of stakeholders from both the private and public sectors. The committee is co-chaired by site managers from the two States Parties, and deliberates and implements conservation and management measures aimed at upholding the OUVs of the site. The Joint Site Management Committee endeavours to maintain high-level and recommended conservation practices. The committee handles various concerns from different stakeholders and attempts to resolve any conflicts (Figure 1).

Figure 1.
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The management structure of the Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls World Heritage property. Source: Joint Integrated Management Plan 2018–2022.

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Breaking the ‘imaginary’ boundaries – Borders

It is undeniable that managing transnational properties such as the Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls can be challenging, calling for a dedicated passion which goes beyond individual State Party interests. Zambia and Zimbabwe have endeavoured to lay aside respective national interests for the sake of ensuring the property is managed effectively and in perpetuity. However, in order to attain the desired status of cooperation for effective management of the property, the following challenges still need to be overcome.

Collective monitoring, research and publication of findings

Despite the magnitude and unique values of the property, there has not been collective research and systematic monitoring of challenges such as deforestation, riverbank erosion, climate change/variation, human and wildlife conflict or control of invasive alien species, to name but a few. While the States Parties of Zambia and Zimbabwe have been undertaking joint monitoring exercises to collect data on property values and attributes, they also need to undertake more collaborative ventures in monitoring and research resulting in publications. Implementing this would not only improve cordial relations between the States Parties but provide vital information required to effectively manage the transnational property.

Tourism

Being one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, the property is a globally renowned tourist destination. Hundreds of thousands of tourists visit the property annually from different parts of the world. Currently, despite tourists paying a lot of money to reach the destination, some are unable to view both sides of the property because of prevailing immigration rules in the respective States Parties. Tourists are subjected to time-consuming border formalities and visa payments to access either side of the property. Tourists know that the falls are in one State Party, as opposed to being transnational; this has disadvantaged the property, the communities living around it and the tourists. This property is a single entity but divided by an ‘imaginary political line’, which should not be the case. Local and international tourists must be able to access the entire property without difficulty because this is a single attraction.

Cultural value mapping

The Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls World Heritage property is not just a natural geological feature but a place to encounter and access the supernatural (Zulu, 2020). This transnational property has connected communities worldwide of differing religious views with a single, undivided ritual landscape. It is considered to be a ‘place of power’ (McGregor, 2003, pg. 722); a sacred site. While the State Party of Zambia is active in mapping cultural values, this is not the case for Zimbabwe. However, it is undeniable that cultural values, especially spiritual, are prominently embedded in the property. Borders and boundaries with a ‘divided management system’ have limited the full appreciation of the spiritual values of the property. The two States Parties must facilitate access to the entire property and learn from the communities living around it, including tourists who mainly visit the property for spiritual reasons.

Conclusion

Over the years, the States Parties of Zambia and Zimbabwe have developed a profound and solid relationship in managing the Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls World Heritage property. The States Parties have collectively utilized policy tools and legal instruments to uphold the property’s values, which include the Joint Integrated Management Plan, the 1972 World Heritage Convention and its Operation Guidelines, the Joint Tourism Policy, integrating conservation, and many others. In addition to the above, the States Parties of Zambia and Zimbabwe have endeavoured to put the interests of the property before the demanding pressure of socio-economic benefits.

This has sustained the bilateral relations between the two States Parties. However, while there is a solid base between the two States Parties because of the long-term cooperation, there are potential opportunities to overcome the current divisions highlighted above through an even greater emphasis on a value-based management approach, because values transcend borders. A value-based management approach would bring even greater benefits for the property, the management team(s), the community(ies) and the visitors.