Iona, situated in the world’s oldest desert, is contiguous to Namibia’s Skeleton Coast, creating a remarkable transfrontier conservation area with high endemism
Funds disbursed
Funding year
Program area
This special ecosystem has high endemism, with many reptiles, plant, and bird species occurring only in this eco-region. Key terrestrial faunal species include the South African oryx, Hartmann’s zebra, ostrich, cheetah, leopard, and brown hyena. Angolan giraffe have recently been reintroduced into the legacy landscape.
Iona is recognized as an “Important Bird Area” with at least 150 species recorded. The Kaokoveld Desert and the Namib desert (covering the largest area of the park) are recognized as “globally remarkable” in terms of their biological diversity and are mentioned by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as centers of floral endemism.
National Park - IUCN Category II
Reserve
Buffer zone
| Country |
|---|
| Angola |
| Protection status |
| IUCN category II, special reserve |
| Ecosystem type |
| Kaokoveld and Namib desert with sand dunes, gravel, and sandy plains; Atlantic Ocean coastline and lagoons; river delta |
| Key species |
| Brown hyena, Hartmann’s zebra, oryx, cheetah, welwitschia mirabilis, Angolan giraffe, Cape fur seals |
| Conservation and climate relevance |
| Important Bird Area; Key Biodiversity Area; desert with remarkable biological diversity, center of floral endemism |
| Implementing partner(s) |
| African Parks |
| Governmental partner(s) |
| Angolan National Institute for Biodiversity Conservation |
| Grant type |
| Sustaining |
| Match funder |
| Rob Walton Foundation |
Program in brief
Activities
- Building technical capacity of staff e.g. ranger trainings, trainings on human rights, GIS, wildlife crimes, etc.
- Investing in park infrastructure and equipment e.g. construction of new park headquarters
- Reintroducing and restocking populations of key species such as the Angolan giraffe
- Developing and implementing land-use plans with Indigenous peoples for sustainable co-existence between traditional herder communities and wildlife
- Establishing partnerships with academic institutions and promoting research
- Expanding and upgrading the tourism experience by developing new products
Conservation challenges
- Unsustainable grazing practices by local herders
- Human-wildlife conflicts over grazing land and water access
- Negative impacts of climate change (droughts) on wildlife and people
For more information on this landscape’s Environmental and Social Due Diligence (ESDD)
For more information on this landscape’s Milestone Review
Field Insights
Voice from the Field
On becoming a ranger
Anália Tchetupona Cristiano was one of 21 final participants to complete the Basic Field Ranger course in Iona.
The participants underwent demanding physical and psychological tests during the pre-selection phases and those who passed were selected to complete the rest of the course where they learned about ethics, patrol formations, de-escalation techniques, human rights, and self-defense. During their work at INP, they will become ambassadors for the park in their own communities.
The park monitors will also use their profound understanding of the local language, values, customs, and traditions that have been practiced for decades, to collaborate with the Law Enforcement team for the conservation of the park, its wildlife, and its people.
Recruiting members of local communities benefits everyone: employment and income is provided to local people and their intrinsic knowledge of the landscapes is integrated into the management of the park
Gallery
Partners
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