Reactive Monitoring mission to Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls (Zambia / Zimbabwe)

The World Heritage Centre and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Reactive monitoring mission visited Zambia and Zimbabwe from 9th to 13th February 2022 to assess the threat of tourism development pressure such as the Mosi-oa-Tunya Livingstone Resort (to be run by Radisson Blu) and The Batoka Gorge Hydro Electric Scheme. 

What we share here are excerpts from the report covering its findings and recommendations on the threats to the Mosi-Oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls World Heritage Site. We have long questioned whether the prescription from the ZEMA decision letter was followed in the construction of the Mosi-oa-Tunya Livingstone Resort and still question the consequences of the Batoka Gorge Hydro Electric Scheme should the dam's construction commence in the Batoka gorge were 4 of 8 gorges and protected biodiversity and the tourism economy will be damaged/affected. 

We hope the findings of this monitoring mission will be taken seriously by the governments of Zambia and Zimbabwe and the recommendations implemented to avoid this recurring trend where developmental projects (proceed without proper clearance) and process that clearance long after construction has commenced. Such breaches to environmental procedures must end. The failure to stop such projects in the name of "too much money has been spent and it is too late to reverse this project" must end too. There must be consequences for breaching our country's environmental law. Such is also the case for the Forest 27 settlements and the agricultural project in the Kasanka National Park/GMA. We are reliably informed that there there is another hotel scheduled for construction opposite the Mosi-oa-Tunya Livingstone resort across the Maramba River; again we question how such projects are being approved in a wildlife corridor/buffer zone of an area designated as a World Heritage Site. 

Will the governments of Zambia and Zimbabwe do the right thing to preserve this world heritage site or is the short-term economic gain and what has been invested into the property so far all that matters?