This case study gives the context in which protected KS teak forests are managed in Zimbabwe. It also highlights overriding issues with respect to the management of the forests. These issues are linked to ecological, socio-economic, scientific and institutional aspects. The KS teak forests are endemic to the fragile, deep, loose and well-drained Kalahari sand geologic formation. The loss of the Zambezi teak forests is especially worrying because unlike other savannah forest and woodland formations they are the more fragile forests in the sense that their soils (Kalahari sands) are easily degraded once the vegetation cover is removed. Different stakeholders are already accessing forest goods and services from the forests; what remains to be seen are arrangements that would involve these stakeholders in active management of the forests.
Management of the forests is guided by the forest policy for indigenous forests and implemented and regulated through the provisions of the Forest Act. The forests are managed on the basis of well-formulated management plans. Management is for the production of timber, wildlife and non-wood products and for biodiversity conservation. The principle of multiple land use is well imbedded in the management plans of the forest reserves. Considerable progress has been made in terms of research agendas aimed at improving forest management and protection. The problem lies in putting many of the research findings into practice.
There is need for a more holistic management approach to the KS teak forests by looking at the wider KS ecosystem, i.e. protected and unprotected KS teak forests on other land categories and similar KS teak forests in neighbouring countries, Angola, Botswana, Namibia and Zambia. A more embracing transfrontier project for the management of these unique forests is proposed.
