Tourism, conservation and community development in Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park
As first appeared in Domingos in Mozambique, here. Written by Benjamim Wilson.
March 19 2023
A new lodge adds to the successful income generating projects implemented by the two-decade long project
Coffee farming takes place on the slopes of Mount Gorongosa.
Image by The Gorongosa Project.
Gorongosa National Park, in the Mozambican province of Sofala, is preparing to open for tourist season. The local administration estimates that, from the first week of April, many of its attractions will open to tourists.
For manager Peter Muagura, although tourism represents 10 percent of miscellaneous Gorongosa project initiatives, there will be many reasons of interest that will hold attention of visitors. However, how has been customary, preceding the opening will be observed a ritual evocation of ancestors.
Muagura revealed that soon the park will inaugurate a new lodge, Muzimo (spirit in the local language), increasing accommodation capacity.
Situated along the Mussicadze River, the new lodge will allow visitors to view crocodiles when they attack buffaloes, contemplate a small island made up of dense vegetation, in addition to a typical climate fresh.
In addition to Chitengo and Muzimo, is scheduled for this year to construction of a third lodge, with the aim of offering greater diversity for guests.
Still in relation to the tourism of contemplation, Muagura secured that the appreciation of birds will be intensified in what is the largest area Africa nesting site, the lake Urema. He described it as unique, special and suitable for those who are dedicated to the study of ornithology.
Along the Gorongosa Mountains, more specifically in the area of Gogogo, visitors will be able to enjoy varied and rare species of butterflies.
Another attraction, that conservation area provides, relates to the huge population of fireflies, which at night the plains of Gorongosa light up.
Muagura stressed that the project Gorongosa, with almost two decades, diversified the initiatives conservation, leaving it to simply be focused on tourist activity. Wanted to deepen conservation with the sustainable development of local communities.
In addition to more than 102 thousand species of its rich biodiversity, the park made the coalition with university institutions, and graduated 12 masters in conservation biology.
Scientific research is integrated into more than 30 universities, including Edward University Mondlane, UniZambeze, UniLúrio, ISPM, University of Lisbon, Oxford and Princeton.
It will be the third graduation since that the research institution works in the park, with at the moment, outside the country, students who attend others higher education levels.
Muagura highlighted that the graduates come from all provinces and should work, not only in the parks and reserves, as well as the identification of new conservation areas of biodiversity in the country.
The administrator considered training is essential, as that only by increasing the knowledge can be achieved successes in an environmental conservation environment.
As for the development of communities, different scholarships have been awarded to study for young people living around the park. It is intended to continue to fund the improvement of knowledge, so that within the communities there are, among others, capacities to deal with environmental preservation.
The areas of agriculture and forests have been regarded with particular relief, since it is intended to create sustainability within the communities. Magura added that they are increasingly seeing systems results visible agroforestry, with emphasis on reforestation movement from many areas. Has contributed for the process to intensify the production of coffee, honey, as well as the creation of commercial farms.
According to Muagura, in each district connected to the park areas will be created potentially agriculture, as a way of generating food sustainability and finances for the people.
“Nature can be restored” - Greg Carr, founder of The Gorongosa Project
After having supported The Gorongosa project for 18 years, American businessman and philanthropist, Greg Carr, does not hide the feeling of satisfaction.
He recalled that, in 2004, one could spend a whole day walking through the park and still not see wildlife in the park. Currently, he argues that Gorongosa is an “ocean” of wildlife, in which, just around the corner you can see herds of elephants. According to philanthropist, Greg Carr, when you see lion cubs or ten thousand waterbucks, it is proof of nature's rejuvenation.
"Do you know something? Nature can recover,” Carr stated.
To trigger the project, he recalled having removed over 20,000 wire traps and snares, while at the same time in terms of species, there were only between five to six lions in the park. He remembered with some discomfort that of the few lions, most had only three legs, due to the fact that they had stepped on traps.
To reverse the scenario, he highlighted that the process was started by reintroduction of herbivores, such as buffaloes, antelope and zebras. Then came the carnivores, namely leopards and hyenas, in addition to counting about 200 lions.
“I never imagined it would go so well, and so quickly,” he said.
In interventions of a social nature, he highlighted those that follow the ideals of the former South African statesman, Nelson Mandela. As he said, he was a defender of a park focusing on human rights: open and always in favour of development of communities.
This article is reproduced here as part of the African Conservation Journalism Programme, funded in Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe by USAID’s VukaNow: Activity. Implemented by the international conservation organisation Space for Giants, it aims to expand the reach of conservation and environmental journalism in Africa, and bring more African voices into the international conservation debate. Written articles from the Mozambican and Angolan cohorts are translated from Portuguese. Broadcast stories remain in the original language.
