Kavango - Zambezi transfrontier wildlife park

National parks occupy a sizable percentage of the African landscape, stretched across sections of land full of vibrant flora and soft, rolling scenery. Depending on your location, travel arrangements, and what exactly you're hoping to see during your stay, any number of national parks across the continent may seem attractive. In certain cases, you don't even need to settle on one specific area or even country.As far as transboundary national parks go, the Kavango -Zambezi conservation area could be excused for being labeled an 'overachiever' - situated as it is at the confluence of international borders between no fewer than five African countries. Seen by many as a potential world icon for conservation, the KAZA park (as it has come to be known) would incorporate sections from around 17 game reserves from Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, Angola, and Zimbabwe into one fairly huge, "transborder" wildlife sanctuary. Plans set the park at incorporating an area of 280 000 km², laid out over an area between Angola and Caprivi, in Namibia.Transboundary protected areas are defined as being protected wildlife reserves spanning two or more national or subnational borders. These areas are characterised as being border neutral, in terms of physical structures, allowing free access and travel by humans and animals within the park. In order to prevent illegal border crossing from one country to the other, most transboundary parks are surrounded by their own fencing or boundary area, which is then monitored for trespassers. An example of one of these reserves is the Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park.The proposed Kavango-Zambezi incorporates the Namibian Caprivi Strip, Angola's southeastern corner, a large section of southwestern Zambia, the north Botswanan wildlands, western Zimbabwe, and the Chobe and Zambezi rivers. Created to be a "world without borders", guests vacationing here will be able to visit gorgeous Victoria Falls, Popa Falls in Namibia, and the Okavango Delta, as well as a host of local sites and attractions, such as the Kalahari salt pans. The KAZA was first agreed upon on 24 July 2003, at a meeting between tourism Ministers from Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Since then, the initiative has gained support from the international community, with organizations such as the WWF voicing their hopes for its future.Once finalised, the park would incorporate the following national parks:

• Liuwa Plain National Park (Zambia)

• Bwabwata National Park (Namibia)

• Makgadikgadi National Park (Botswana)

• Hwange National Park (Zimbabwe)

• Mavinga Game Reserve (Angola)

• Chobe National Park (Botswana)

• Kafue National Park (Zambia)

• Moremi Game Reserve (Botswana)

• Victoria Falls National Park (Zimbabwe)

• Mamili National Park (Namibia)

• Nxai Pan National Park (Botswana)

• Kazuma Pan National Park (Zimbabwe)

• Sioma Ngwezi National Park (Zambia)

• Zambezi National Park (Zimbabwe)

• Luiana Game Reserve (Angola)

• Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park (Zambia)

• Mudumo National Park (Namibia)

The five countries involved have high hopes for the project, banking on it improving regional cooperation. Stakeholders have all pledged their support in protecting this area, and nurturing it for tourism development. If finalised, this park could set a high bar for inclusive national parks the world over.