African traditional leaders, heritage and sustainable development experts meet in Livingstone, Zambia

Online Writer

HERITAGE and sustainable development experts, and traditional leaders from across Africa are gathered in Livingstone, Zambia for a three-day expert meeting on world heritage and sustainable development in Africa.

The African World Heritage Fund and the Zambezi River Authority are jointly financing the meeting of experts.

Other cooperating partners are Governments of Zimbabwe and Zambia, National Heritage Conservation Commission, UNESCO Zambia National Commission, and wildlife authorities from the two countries.

Participants are drawn from representatives from government ministries and agencies responsible for heritage conservation, environment and tourism, UNESCO and the World Heritage Centre (WHC), the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF), International conservation organisations, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), universities and research centres, private sector, civic society and local communities.

The main objective of the three-day workshop which will end on Thursday, is to come up with a declaration that will guide heritage and conservation around the World Heritage Site, Victoria Falls.

The meeting seeks to discuss implementation practices and principles on world heritage conservation and sustainable development in Africa, identify successful ways in which integrated approaches between the pillars of sustainable development have been implemented at World Heritage sites in Africa, strengthen the inter-sectoral/interdisciplinary forum on balancing conservation and sustainable development at and around World Heritage sites, foster dialogue between governments, conservation agencies, and international organisations on policy frameworks and practical solutions, and develop an action plan for the implementation of collaborative projects between World Heritage sites and sustainable development issues in Africa.

Chief Whange from Hwange, Acting Chief Shana from Jambezi and Acting Chief Mvuthu from Victoria Falls whose areas are within the vicinity of ZRA’s projects along Zambezi River, Chief Mukuni and Chief Simwatachela of Zambia are participating.