PERIODIC REPORT ON
THE APPLICATION OF THE WORLD HERITAGE
CONVENTION
Section II
MALAWI NATIONAL PARK
II.1 Introduction
a) State
Party:
Malawi
b) Name of
World Heritage property: Lake Malawi National Park
c) Geographical
coordinate to the nearest second: Approximately 14¬∫ 02ÄôS, 34¬∫53Äô E
d) Date of
inscription on the World Heritage List: 2nd
November, 1984
e) Organization
responsible for the preparation of the report
Organisation:
Lake
Malawi National Park
Address: Lake
Malawi National Park, P.O. Box 48
City: Monkey-Bay,
Telephone: (265)
1 587 456 / 728
Fax: (265)
1 759 832
e-mail: [email protected]
f) Date of
report:
30th January 2006
g) Signature on behalf of State
Party
Sefu, L.D.
Director of
National Parks and Wildlife, Malawi
II.2 Statement
of Outstanding Universal Value
In the original nomination, it was stated that Lake Malawi National Park inhabit a fascinating and diverse rock-dwelling cichlids (locally known as ÄúmbunaÄù) many of which are endemic to Lake Malawi National Park and its spectacular rugged landscape is of exceptional natural beauty. The slopes fall directly to the lakeshore. The lake waters are remarkably clear and that the national park is the only lacustrine park in Africa. These World Heritage values makes the park / site to be of outstanding universal value. The Committee inscribed the property on the World Heritage List as a natural site based on criterion ii), iii) and iv) at the time of inscription (1984), i.e.:
ii) an
outstanding example representing significant on-going ecological and biological
process in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water ecosystem
and communities of plants and animals;
iii) contains
superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and
aesthetic importance; and
iv) contains the
most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of
biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of
outstanding universal value from the point of science or conservation.
(Note: the
criteria now fall under Para 77
bullets viii, ix and x in the updated Operational Guidelines of February 2005)
It is important, then to
note that the Statement of Outstanding Universal Value adequately reflect the
definition of the outstanding universal value of Lake Malawi National Park,
hence, there is no cause to re-consider these values. Lake Malawi National Park
was established through the Act of Parliament; hence, the gazettement of the
boundaries was clearly described and gazetted and is adequate for the
conservation of both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
II.3 Statement
of authenticity and/or integrity
The evaluation of the
authenticity and/or integrity of the property at the time of inscription was
based on the following:
To date, the values on
which the property was inscribed are being maintained since the property is
being managing as a national park.
To further strengthen the management and conservation of the park resources,
the Wildlife Policy is promoting the involvement of communities. This has lead
to the formation of Village Natural Resources Committees (NRCs) and three
Village Trusts (VTs) in villages within and adjacent to the park. These efforts
are backed by law enforcement operations which are being conducted in the area
as stipulated in the management plan / strategies for the site. On the other
hand, the research unit recommends management strategies and procedures for
better management of the park. Education and extension unit also contribute to
the better management of park resources by carrying out activities aimed at
enhancing public awareness about the importance of the park and its resources,
most particularly, as a World Heritage Site. This is emphasised for the fact
that the site habours communities within its boundaries.
II.4 Management
II.4.1 Legal and institutional
framework
Lake Malawi National
Park is managed under the National Parks and Wildlife Act (1992 as amended
2002). Under this Act, the resources of the park are managed and controlled by
the Department of National Parks and Wildlife, Lake Malawi National Park, in
particular. As a protected area, utilisation of park resources is restricted
and sustainable management measures have been instituted to curb the illegal
harvesting of resources. This is being strengthened by the Wildlife Policy that
promotes collaborative management and private sector involved. The Department
also undertakes law enforcement patrols and have powers to arrest and even
confiscate any resource obtained illegally from the park.
The Wildlife Policy
mandates park management to work in collaboration with local communities within
and outside park more closely and share responsibilities and benefits accruing
from the management of the park. The collaborative management being advocated
by the policy backed by the amended Act (2002) has resulted in the formation of
three Village Trusts (VTs) and several natural resource committees (NRCs).
The park has a
management plan which stipulates the management and implementation strategies
inline with the policy of the department. Besides that, there is also a
strategic tourism management plan for Malawi which also describes the tourism
development for the site.
The park is being managed
by four sections/units which are: administration and management; wildlife
management; research and planning and education and extension.
II.4.2 Ownership and
Management
(a) Legal mandate. No change has occurred for the site
since inscription or last periodic report in regards to ownership, legal
status, and boundaries but what only changed was the Wildlife Policy and act
where the concept of collaborative management is incorporated. The Lake Malawi
National Park is being managed based on the Wildlife Policy and backed by
National Parks and Wildlife legislation. (Note: LMNP
management plan, Wildlife Policy and National Parks and Wildlife Act 1992 and
Amendments, 2002 to be sent separately).
(b) Full name and
address of an agency directly responsible for the property:
Full
name of agency: Lake
Malawi National Park,
Address: Lake
Malawi National Park, P.O. Box 48
City: Monkey
Bay.
Country: Malawi
(a)Human resources
Number of staff available: 46
Number of vacant posts: 13
Categories
of available staff:
Officer
In Charge: 1
Section
Heads: 3
Field
Staff: 14
Problem
Animal Control: 5
Extension
Officers: 3
Research
and Planning: 2
Administration/support
staff: 18
(b) Financial
resources
Required annual budget
(recurrent) = MK3,840,000 (US$30,720)
© Training needs
for staff
Staff mainly those in
management and research requires training in monitoring. Training courses on
the management of WHS and GIS required is a priority.
(a) Scientific
Studies and Resaearch Projects
The research studies
carried out by parks and foreign researchers include:
Mapping of large mammal distribution;
Woodland monitoring, Impact of feeding of mbuna fish, Meteorological
monitoring, Evaluation of the performance of the law enforcement, monitoring of
fish species in the park and monitoring of human wildlife conflict are
conducted by research unit. It is important to note that research unit lacks
major research equipment for aquatic studies.
(ii) External Research Studies
Some of the research projects carried out for the park which gives management insights include:
o Rural Subsistence and Protected Areas: Community Use of Miombo Woodlands of Lake Malawi National Park.
o Lake Malawi National Park: A Case Study in Conservation Planning.
o Assessment of Impacts of 100 metre aquatic zone of Lake Malawi national Park on the management of cichlids fish
o Artisanal Fishery in Socio-economic Development of Rural Communities in Malawi: A Case Study of Enclave Villages of Lake Malawi National Park,
o Ecological Interaction Between the Introduced and Native Rock - dwelling Cichlids, of Lake Malawi National Park.
o Indigenous Knowledge and Natural Resources Management: Towards the Renaissance of Indigenous Fishing Practices in Chembe Village along the Shores of Lake Malawi.
o A Preliminary Survey of the Enclave Villages of Lake Malawi National
Park, with an Overview of Fisheries and Commonly Caught Fishes of Lake Malawi.
(b) Education
and Extension Activities for the Site:
Education and Extension
Unit of the park conducts outreach and extension programmes to communities in
and around the park. The site also receives school and wildlife clubs almost
every weekend. The environmental centre offers educational programmes aimed at
sensitising and building capacity on the communities and clubs in natural
resource management, LMNP in particular. The environmental programmes/themes
were formulated taking into account the values of the park as a WHS and the
target groups. The centre also conducts guided nature walks and aquarium
interpretations which included in-situ cichlids
observations. The information
centre exhibits materials the general importance of conserving wildlife and
environment, in general terms.
© World
Heritage Logo
The property has a World
Heritage plaque placed at the gate and main office and visitor information
centre and the World Heritage logo on the letterhead indicating that Lake
Malawi National Park is a World Heritage Property.
The site receives fewer
visitors because of poor visitor facilities for overnight tourists. The annual
visitation varies but do not go beyond 4,000. Right now, there are only two
visitor sites: Mumbo/Domwe Islands run by Kayak Africa and Golden Sands run by
Lake Malawi National Park. The visitors come from within Malawi, South Africa,
France, United Kingdom, Italy, Ireland, America, Belgium and several other
overseas countries. In 2004, the park registered 3236 tourists and in 2005,
about 3113 tourists visited the park and majority of them were day visitors.
The touristsÄô facilities at Golden Sands are to be developed very soon.
The property is being
managed using the legislation and policy for the central administration and
that the policy and legislation were revised in 2000 and 2002 respectively to
incorporate the collaborative management concepts. Hence, further review not
anticipated and that the property is being maintained in its original
conservation state.
II.5 Factors
affecting the property
II.5.1 Degree to which the
property is threaten
Some factors that are
threatening the property are as follows:
(a) Development
Pressure
Visual integrity: The
management of waste is a problem in the enclave villages which have a bearing
on the quality of environment in the area. In other areas, illegal fresh wood cutting for poles and
firewood in the terrestrial area of the park has been recorded.
Functional integrity:
According
to the survey reports, the biological diversity of the LMNP aquatic zone is not
threatened. The diversity and abundance has been maintained since the
communities/fishermen were sensitised about the importance of conserving the
fish resources of the 100 metre zones and that the enforcement has been
improving over the years.
(b) Environmental
pressure:
The illegal utilisation
of fresh wood will have a long-term effect on the woodland management of the
park. The enforcement coupled with extension has assisted in minimising and
reversing the trend.
The site is heavily affected by fires some of which are started by the communities and in some cases, by tourists. The management is in the process of developing fire management plan since it has not been incorporated in the LMNP management plan.
(c) Visitor /
tourism pressure
At the moment, there is
no visitor pressure in the park for the fact that the tourist facilities are in
dilapidated status and cannot compete with the services offered by
accommodation facilities mushroomed in Chembe Village. The EIA will be conducted as a
requirement before development of LMNP Golden Sands tourists facilities.
(d) Number of Inhabitants
The park has five enclave villages
within its boundaries. Chembe village is the largest among the four with a
total land area of 8.5km². The number of people living in these villages are
increasing. It is estimated that the five enclave villages have a population of
about 18,000 people (1998 estimates). It is believed that there is a population
increase due to natural factors and immigration and is envisaged that this
trend of population growth impacts on the parks resources, mainly, firewood. Illegal
fresh wood harvesting have been encountered within the resource utilisation
zones.
Being fishermen,
culturally, the enclave communities mainly depend on fishing for their
livelihood even though minority depend on the natural resources from the park. These
enclave villages do their fishing activities in the open waters and not in the
100m aquatic zones which are protected. Sustainable collection of fuel wood and
other forest products is done in an organised manner where parkÄôs office issue
permits and the communitiesÄô activities are monitored.
II.5.2 Prevention of the
Threats
a)
Methods of counteracting the threats:
The Lake Malawi National
Park Management Plan is emphasising on the involvement of communities in the
management of protected areas. Natural
Resource Committees (NRCs) and VTs have been formed in adjacent villages so
that local people can participate in decision making for better management of
Lake Malawi National Park since, it has been realised that the communities are
the custodian of the natural resources.
The amended National
Parks Act stipulates the management measures of the protected areas in the
country. The law enforcers with assistance from VTs are guarding against
illegal resource users in both aquatic and terrestrial components of LMNP.
Fishing pressure in the park has reduced tremendously due to frequent aquatic
patrols and improved working relationship with local communities.
The fire management plan
will be developed which will address the problem of uncontrolled fires in the
park. The guidelines for tourism development in the protected areas stipulate
the type of development in the park.
II.6 Monitoring
Monitoring
exercises
a) Fish
The ÄúmbunaÄù fish and their habitats are
the main focus of attention in the aquatic zones of the rocky shores of the
lake. These fish are protected in
Lake Malawi National Park and occur in abundance. Several research projects have been conducted on the ÄúmbunaÄù and the recent monitoring surveys has established that the ÄúmbunaÄù population is in abundance.
Monitoring of fish in the permanent aquatic survey plots which were established
in 1983 continue to take place and so far, there is no significant change on
the species composition, abundance and localisation. There is a periodic monitoring
programme for these fish species.
b) Forests
A study conducted by Joanne Abbot (1996)
concluded that the woodland structure of the park is being modified in the
direction of shorter, more open woodland as a result of fuel wood use by the
enclave communities. The fuel wood
use by enclave villages is monitored and regulated to avoid degrading the
terrestrial environment and thereby, impacting on he aquatic environment. The
research unit is implementing a woodland monitoring programme and make
management recommendations. In addressing these management recommendations,
community participation and awareness campaigns continue to be implemented in
the affected communal areas.
c) Wildlife
The park has a small
number of large mammals. These
are: Baboons Papio ursinus, Velvet monkey Cercopithecus aethiops, Blue
monkeys Cercopithecus mitis, Hyraxes, Klipspringer Oreotragus, Bush buck Tragelaphus
scriptus,
Common duiker Sylvicapra grimmia, Hippo Hippopotamus
amphibius,
Otters, Grysboks Rhaphicerus sharpie, Bush babies Galago
crassicaundatus, Civet Viverra civetta, Ant bears Orycteropus
afer,
Porcupines, Bush pigs Potamochoerus porcus, Hyena Crocuta
crocuta,
Leopard Panthera pardus and Kudu Tragelaphus strepsiceros. The distribution pattern and population
is being monitored. Most of the
big game are found outside the park like elephants, hippos and lions which are
still under the management of LMNP. The leopard is extremely rare in the park.
d) Community
Mobilisation
Communities in and
around the park continue to participate in the management of the park and their
activities are being coordinated by the education and extension wing of the
park. The 3 VTs and NRCs formed in and around the park have shown their
willingness in supporting conservation efforts of the park.
II.7 Summary
of Conclusion and recommended action
(i) Main conclusion
regarding the state of the World Heritage property: The property was inscribed to protect
the ecological and biological processes that form natural phenomena of
exceptional beauty. There has been
no change in the authenticity and/or integrity of the site since inscription in
1984 and the state party has put in place measures that this continues being
maintained as stated in items II.2 and II.3 above.
(ii) Main conclusion regarding
the management and factors affecting the property (items II.4 and II.5
above): The property is managed under the National Parks and Wildlife Act and
guiding principles in the Wildlife Policy. The Act has been amended to incorporate the concept of
collaborative management (CM) emphasising on involvement of relevant
stakeholders, particularly, the local communities. The collaborative management
being advocated by the Wildlife Policy has lead to the formation of three VTs
and several NRCs in and around the park thereby, contributing to the
conservation and management of the park.
Awareness in regards to the CM continues to be undertaken by the
extension wing of the park.
The park has
well-articulated management plan and the Department has also tourism
development guidelines emphasising the type of structures to be constructed and
the need for conducting an EIA.
The park has five
enclave villages within its boundaries.
The numbers of people living in these villages continue to increase
thereby exerting pressure on resources which they use for their energy
requirements. There is a mechanism of checking firewood collection in the park.
The illegal fishing in the 100m zones had been a problem since the proclamation
of the park in 1980 since most of the local people rely on fishing for their
livelihood but this trend has been tremendously reduced for the fact that
aquatic and terrestrial patrols are being intensified. Community awareness,
sensitisation and participation are also playing a major role in curbing the
illegal activities in the park.
(iii) Proposed
future actions
v Enhance
monitoring of the aquatic ecosystem.
v Awareness and
sensitisation programmes on the benefits and importance of LMNP World Heritage
Site and capacity building for local institutions.
v Formation of
4 VTs around Lake Malawi National Park.
v Improve
management of the ecosystem. It is required that the research unit be equipped
with fish monitoring equipment (diving gears) which will enable researchers
monitoring mbuna populations and their distributions including monitoring of
the status of their habitats.
v Enhance WHS
Äònet-workingÄô. LMNP being the only WHS in the country, not much is known what
is going on internationally. To improve on coordination and access of WH
information, it is required that LMNP be supported in purchasing a set of
computer and Internet connection.
v Develop fire
management plan
v Development
of tourist facilities at Golden Sands. This will improve revenue generation for
the park.
(iv) Responsible
implementing agency
Institution: Lake
Malawi National Park
Address: Lake
Malawi National Park, Box 48
City and
Postal Code: Monkey-Bay, Malawi
Telephone: (265)
1 587 456 / 728
Fax: (265)
1 759 832
e-mail: [email protected]
(v) Timeframe
for implementation
One Fiscal
year (12 months) Äì preferably, to be finalised within July to June (2006/07)
fiscal year.
(vi)
Needs
for international assistance
There is a need for International assistance in order to improve coordination and management of LMNP. The areas requiring urgent external support include:
II.8 Experiences
The State Party is
obliged to have participated in several international workshops organised by
WHC on the management of WHS and the implementation of the WH Convention. The
recent site managersÄô and DirectorsÄô workshop which took place in Kenya
resulted in the development of Eastern and Southern region website, www.cons.dev/africanature where
site reports and contact details have been posted and that several management
issues affecting the sites were discussed. The park also receives external
researchers from both academic and research institutions who assist in carrying
out research projects, mainly, the aquatic work.
The Department is also a
national secretariat for Ramsar Convention and also is getting technical
support from the Danish Hunters Association and other NGOs.