ORGANISATION PROFILE & STRATEGIC OVERVIEW
WHO WE ARE We are a community of conservationists, environmentalists, indigenous communities, activists, civil groups and corporate organisations who are united by a shared love for the Zambezi Valley and a determination to protect and nurture this precious landscape and its rich biodiversity.
As a strongly connected network, we are committed to protecting, restoring and raising awareness of the beauty and ecological importance of the Zambezi Valley and Biosphere Reserve – one of the world’s last great wildernesses – and reconciling its needs with those of surrounding rural communities. Our common goal is the maintenance of this extraordinary natural resource, including its biological and scenic values.
WHO WE ARE
MISSION To enhance the strengths of individual conservation players in the Zambezi Valley and Biosphere Reserve with support through outstanding communication and information exchanges.
VISION A landscape that will achieve globally recognised goals of biodiversity protection, landscape preservation and improved livelihoods for neighbouring rural communities.
STORY The Zambezi Valley Conservation Network symbol is a fingerprint, which inspires our vision and values. Reflecting the uniqueness of the landscape, the fingerprint also represents the combined and connected strengths of the Valley’s protectors and their purpose. The human touch is a key principle for the Valley Network, which aims to connect people to preserve and protect the Zambezi Valley and Biosphere Reserve. The personal connection that all stakeholders have to this land is tangible and profound. Hands on activity reflects the immense and ongoing contributions and dedication to the Valley Network – the spirited and relentless energy, grit, tenacity and resilience of a diverse community of conservation players towards a common goal of conserving the biodiversity of this special place. Map contours and landscape curves are captured in the fingerprint symbol, representing geographic forms and features – the escarpment and valley – and the river that flows through this unique, wild land.
The movement of the river demonstrates the flow of communication that runs through the network, consistently breathing life and energy into the conservation community, and thus to the Valley. The elliptical shape of the fingerprint icon is naturally supportive and protective, cherishing the beauty of the Valley within. The colours of our logo capture the sun – our life source, energy and hope, as a guiding light – and the river, which represents the transformative power of nature, dynamic movement, connection and flow of energy.
ZVCN is working towards the meaningful delivery of a conservation model where community needs are at the forefront of conservation goals and community voices are represented in conservation solutions.
THE ROLE OF THE NETWORK Implement a managed, centralised communications platform to contribute to the efficiencies and unification of organisations working towards agreed objectives and common goals of protecting and preserving the Zambezi Valley and its biodiversity. Enhance unity, alliances and partnerships, by linking agencies and coordinating collaborations, events, forums and conferences. Map and highlight the successes and impact of conservation players (Network members), ensuring this is accurately recorded for Biosphere reporting and acknowledgement. Harness strategic communications to implement and demonstrate the power and value or synergised and coordinated conservation efforts.
Use ZVCN communications platforms to leverage and amplify national and global awareness efforts of network members.
Highlight the value of the Valley and communicate the importance of this area to the rest of the world, with a call to action to help us protect it.
Assist with the attraction of diverse funding to the landscape to support critical projects, advocacy and emergency response across the network.
THE ROLE OF THE NETWORK Develop systems to streamline communications across *8 key functions to:
Enhance information and knowledge sharing between entities.
Spark open dialogue to build transparency, trust and unity between conservation players.
Align conservation plans and activities, avoid duplication and strengthen collaboration opportunities between entities. Obtain a consistently updated landscape-wide overview of the threats, needs, opportunities and impact across the Valley and Biosphere Reserve. Tell compelling stories of conservation activities and the unique wildlife and biodiversity within this region.
*See pages 16 & 17 for expanded key functions
CURRENT PROJECTS & CAMPAIGNS UNESCOÂ ZAMBEZI BIOSPHERE RESERVE 10-YEAR PERIOD REVIEW ZVCN is working closely with the Zambezi Society to compile a 10-year periodic review of the Biosphere Reserve. This report is crucial for the middle Zambezi Valley to retain its Biosphere Reserve status.
ANGWA MINING THREAT ZVCN is currently supporting conservation stakeholders in an investigation into an alluvial gold mining development commencing along a portion of the Angwa and Maura Rivers on the Zambezi Valley floor in the Mbire District. This area includes the Mana-Angwa Pools complex at the Maura-Angwa confluence and is one of outstanding beauty and of high wilderness and wildlife value. This development appears to be underway without an EMA approved EIA and is expected to have dire environmental and commercial consequences. ZVCN has thus far played a key administrative role in this campaign and is supporting the Zambezi Society to compile an extensive dossier and other important information about the Mana-Angwa area, and the potential impact of this mining development. ZVCN will also collaborate with Zambezi Society to design and deliver a regional advocacy campaign to create awareness of the Angwa mining threat and others of current concern, such as the Hwange Mining Development that is also underway under similar circumstances.
OUR PRINCIPLES Spirited, purposeful, human-centric
Visionary, innovative, transformative
Tenacious, resilient, courageous
Impact, results & data-driven
Inclusive, diverse, synergistic, organised
Honest, transparent, reliable
KEY PILLARS Connection & Interconnectivity
The Network is a community already strongly connected to the Zambezi river and valley – its history, present and future – that chooses to nurture and strengthen the connections between all who inhabit, live off, work within and thrive on this landscape.
Collective Solutions & Action
ZVCN aims to centralise, coordinate and streamline critical communications on activities, information and impact between Network members, in order to strengthen synergies and optimise outputs.
Shared Vision & a Common Purpose
Conservation Innovation
The Network is inspired by a shared love for the Valley and a sense of urgency to restore and protect this precious, wild landscape of northern Zimbabwe. It is this variety of contribution and determination that unites the community that makes up the Zambezi Valley Conservation Network.
The future of conservation and achieving ‘landscape-wide' preservation in a challenging economy requires a unique, strategic and sustainable longterm approach. With reflection and lessons learnt from the past, we aim to strategically promote innovative models that see entities working together.
STRATEGIC APPROACH
OVERVIEW The Zambezi Valley Conservation Network supports and facilitates open dialogue and strategic communications between critical conservation players across the Zambezi Valley, with a focus on preserving the Biosphere Reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Sites within this region. We track conservation goals and activity, support
research and map ongoing impact and threats, encouraging 'open book conservation' between those who make up the Network. The Network has identified five member groups working across eight critical conservation functions/areas. Based on an understanding of activities of members working across these areas, ZVCN will help deliver a valuable role in assisting efficiencies.
KEY FUNCTIONS
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Biodiversity & habitat restoration & maintenance
Rural community resilience & development opportunity
Research, evaluation & monitoring
Wildlife protection
The preservation of vulnerable habitat, a reduction in deforestation rates and habitat loss through innovative protection and restoration activity.
The creation and successful delivery of projects and interventions that improve livelihoods within communities living alongside wildlife. Including human/wildlife conflict resolution and improvements to agriculture, sustainable resource management and conservation education.
The identification of needs and development of programmes to implement essential allied landscape-wide research, data gathering and evaluation.
The maintenance of the Zambezi Valley’s optimal wildlife asset, through ranger support and assistance to anti-poaching units and the combating of the illegal wildlife trade.
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Sustainable conservation investments & funding streams
Impact reporting
Advocacy, awareness & policy contribution
Optimal tourism & the revival of stranded assets
A diverse and robust blend of income to support essential programming, including philanthropic funding, tourism related incomes, private sector investments, CSR and carbon revenues.
The collation and distribution of data and a narrative that illustrates the impact of conservation in the landscape. Includes the production of publications for widespread distribution.
A representative platform for Zambezi Valley advocacy and awareness of conservation related issues and policy development. Serves to optimise local and international visibility of conservation needs, efforts and successes in the Zambezi Valley.
The promotion of the Zambezi Valley tourism asset, its product diversity and uniqueness of destination. The restoration of those distressed areas of the landscape that are stranded assets in terms of revenue value.
NETWORK MEMBERS & PROCESS
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Local Authorities
Tourism Groups
Civil Society & Local Communities
Conservation Support Organisations
Corporate Partners
Local and regional government - forestry, ZPWMA, EMA, tourism authorities
Photographic and trophy hunting safari operators
Community and traditional leaders
Anti-poaching, law enforcement and ranger welfare
Mining and agricultural companies
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Animal welfare groups Socio economic development organisations
NETWORK MEMBERS
MEMBER ONBOARDING & COORDINATION
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Member mapping
Member invitation & sign-up
Develop a detailed plan for each of ZVCN's focus areas
Communicate plan per focus area
Mapping key activities, progress & challenges
ZVCN maps organisations and projects that are contributing to conservation and/or the sustainable development and empowerment of rural communities in the Zambezi Valley.
ZVCN invites participants to join the network as equal members. Members provide information of their contribution and endorse the shared vision of the network as active participants contributing to collective conservation action.
With information from member profiles and discussions, ZVCN will develop a plan for each focus area with objectives, deliverables and impact indicators. This focus area mapping will also reveal key gaps and opportunities to fulfil conservation goals within a given key area.
Focus area plans, along with identified gaps and opportunities, are communicated to relevant network members, either within a forum or on an individual basis. (Member inputs and approvals required in order to activate strategic network plans.)
Focus area activities and impact are recorded and shared with members quarterly. Progress in the form of qualitative and quantitative information is measured against goals and expected outcomes across each focus area.
06 Communicating progress & impact
Information and data showcasing activities and impact is reported and communicated to network, stakeholders and donors. (General member updates and stories are also collected and shared on an ongoing basis via network social media and communications platforms.)
The Valley Network believes that open communications and information sharing can be catalytic in protecting the biodiversity and scenic value of the Zambezi Valley.
OPEN BOOK CONSERVATION Inspired by African oral traditions and campfire stories, the Zambezi Network harnesses the power of information sharing and storytelling, as well as the principles of community, connection, transparency and trust that keep such a tradition alive, and an effective way to share history and wisdom. We also value and can relate to the tales of adventure, bravery and triumph that encourage sharing, ignite learning and inspire younger generations. It is these key principles of connection and honest and open conversations that drive our network and enable us to contribute to a positive, proactive and united conservation culture in Zimbabwe.
Join or support the Valley Network Conservation Community as a member, partner, donor or volunteer.
Email: info@zambeziconservationnetwork.org Facebook/ZambeziConservationNetwork Linkedin/zambezi-conservation-network
www.zambezinetwork.org