Ministry of Tourism, National Parks & Wildlife

Projects :  Tourism  Wildlife

The Ministry of Tourism, Parks and Wildlife is currently undertaking tourism, and wildlife conservation projects

Tourism Projects

• The Mwanza visitor information center and tourism office was completed in the year 2001 is open to the public. The office which is located next to the Police offices in Mwanza town has been finalised at the cost of MK4 million with funding from the government of Malawi. A similar project is expected to kick-start within the 2001/2002 financial year in the another boarder town of Mchinji.

• The Visitor centre with access steps for better viewing is to be finalised this year at Zoa falls, on the Ruo River in Thyolo District. The Zoa project which was supposed to be finalised in 1999 has been delayed due to operational problems on the part of the contractor.

• The pilot cultural village project is to commence in 2002 and expected to handed over by December, 2002. The cultural village, which is to depict the Yao heritage is to be sited in Mpale Village, opposite Sun 'n' Sands Hotel in Mangochi District. M.D. Initiative are the chief archticets and supervisors of the project but the local community and the whole District assembly are responsible for the design of the structures.

• The five year strategic plan that will guide the development of tourism in Malawi was finalised in 2001. A UK based consulting firm Scott Wilson led by team leader Dr. Peter Kendell is expected to submitt the final proposal in February 2002 after consultations.The study was funded by UNDP with technical expertise from the World Tourism Organisation (WTO).

• Under the Institutional Support to the Private Sector Project, that was funded by European Union, several studies were successfully carried out by the consulting firm Maxwell Stamp with Dr. James Kiddie as the team leader. These studies, which were requested by the Ministry included a Pre-feasibility study of five sites within the country with tourism potential, Investment incentives for the tourism sector, the classification and grading of accommodation facilities and the creation of tourism statistical database. The last study on the branding of tourism product in the country is to commence early 2002. Enquiries on these studies can be made on tourism@malawi.net.

• The Department of Tourism has submitted three projects targeted at the local community to be considered for funding by the Ministry of Finance under the HIPC programme. The project proposals include the construction of three more cultural villages, Training of Tour guides in selected tourist hot spots and construction of selling points for arts and crafts at selected points within the country.

• A project proposal on sexual and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, Gender Equality, Drug and Alcohol Abuse amongst the workers in the Tourism and Travel sector has been submitted to UNFPA for consideration The project is targeted at all workers in the tourism sector on the above named issues and is expected to change behaviour and attitude of the target groups on such issues.

Wildlife Conservation Projects

The goal of most of the projects is to improve the conservation and management of the protected areas. The current major projects are as follows:

• The Nyika-Vwaza Conservation Project is funded by the Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau (KfW) of Germany. The purpose of the project was to improve the protection and utilisation of wildlife resources in the two protected areas through provision and rehabilitation of infrastructure (tourism facilities, staff housing, roads and equipment) and assist with various management activities. At the end of the project, some infrastructure have been developed, including a beautiful log cabin visitors' lodge in Nyika and a tented camp at Vwaza. The revenue sharing scheme with border zone communities has been introduced. The latter has not lived to expectation because of low revenues collected.

• The Advisory Project to the DNPW is funded by GTZ (Germany). The purpose of the project is 'to direct the DNPW adequately and control protected areas'. The project expects to strengthen the management and planning capacities at DNPW Headquarters, review the wildlife policy and legislation, promote collaborative management capacity and to develop a management information system.

• The Lower Shire Protected Areas Conservation Project is a sub-component of the larger multi-sectoral Environmental Management Project funded by the World Bank and coordinated by the Environmental Affairs Department. The Lower Shire Project is implemented in Lengwe National Park, Majete and Mwabvi Wildlife Reserves. The purpose of the project is to incorporate neighbouring communities as collaborative managers of the three areas. This is intended to minimise poaching and to improve the people's appreciation of the areas. The project also involves providing management equipment, staff housing, research and extension. The project ends in late 2002 and it is hoped that the collaborative management process can be maintained thereafter.

• The Lake Malawi National Park Conservation Project is another sub-component of the Environmental Management Project. The project has a similar purpose as the Lower Shire Project. The national park is the only one in the country that has enclave villages and collaborating with them would play an important role their appreciation of the area. The project has provided funding for the formation of a village trust and for the study 100m zone of lakeshore in the park, which is the area where fishing is illegal.

• Lake Malawi National Park was the first fresh water park conserving a diversity of fish fauna in the world. It was declared a World Heritage Site under the United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 1984. The park also has three national monuments and these are: (i) the remains of the first Livingstonia Mission and missionary graveyard founded in 1875 in honour of Dr David Livingstone; (ii) a naturally weathered rock bearing unusual criss-crossing markings called 'Mwala wa Mphini'; and (iii) and the Otter Point, s scenically beautiful outcrop for diverse fish species. As a World Heritage Site the park has received some support for management from UNESCO.

• A project to establish a population of black rhinoceros in Liwonde National Park began in 1993. The transfer has been supported by the South African National Parks and the 'J&B care for the rare' project. The rhino became extinct in the country in the 1980s. A male and a female rhino were introduced from Kruger National Park in South Africa and another two were introduced in 1998 and two again, in 2000. Three calves have since been reproduced in the park. The first calve born of the first couple was taken to South Africa in exchange of one of the two brought in 2000. One adult had since died and presently the number is seven. This is a continuous project requiring support.

• There has been a Scout Training Project funded by the Frankfurt Zoological Society of Germany since 1996. The project has assisted the DNPW in training its new and old scouts for law enforcement in the parks. The training is conducted in Liwonde National Park and since it began, the number of scouts has increased significantly. The training ends in 2002.