Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls

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Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls
These are among the most spectacular waterfalls in the world. The Zambezi Rier! which is
more than " #m wide at this point! plunges noisily down a series of basalt gorges and raises
an iridescent mist that can be seen more than "$ #m away.
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Mosi-oa-Tunya * Richard Veillon
+utstanding ,niersal Value
Brief synthesis
The Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls is the world-s greatest sheet of falling water and significant
worldwide for its e.ceptional geological and geomorphological features and actie land
formation processes with outstanding beauty attributed to the falls i.e. the spray! mist and
rainbows. This transboundary property e.tends oer /0/$ ha and comprises 1223 ha of the
Mosi-oa-Tunya 4ational 5ar# 6Zambia7! "18$ ha of Victoria Falls 4ational 5ar# 6Zimbabwe7!
289 ha of the rierine strip of Zambezi 4ational 5ar# 6Zimbabwe7. % rierine strip of the
Zambezi 4ational 5ar# e.tending 3 #m west along the right ban# of the Zambezi and islands
in the rier are all within the 5ar# as far as 5alm and :andahar ;slands! with the Victoria
Falls being one of the ma<or attractions. The waterfall stands at an altitude of about 39= m
aboe mean sea leel 6a.m.s.l.7 and spans to about 92$0 m wide with an aerage depth of
9$$ m and the deepest point being 9$0 m. 'prays from this giant waterfall can be seen from
a distance of 1$ #m from the >usa#a road! Zambia and =$ #m from ?ulawayo road!
Zimbabwe. ?asalts hae been cut by a rier system producing a series of eightspectacular
gorges that sere as breeding sites for four species of endangered birds. The basalts of the
Victoria Falls @orld Aeritage property are layered unli#e those of the Biants &auseway
@orld Aeritage site which are ertical and columnar.

Criterion (vii) The Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls is the largest curtain of falling water in the
worldC it is 9.2$0 m wide and with up to =$$ million litres per minute descending at /9 m
6)eil-s &ataract7! 01 m 6Main Falls7! 33 m 6Rainbow Falls7! 30 m 6Dastern &ataract7. Dight
spectacular gorges of igneous origin 6i.e. comprising basalts7 and seeral islands in the core
zone sere as breeding sites for four endangered and migratory bird species! such as the
Taita Falcon and ?lac# Dagle. The rierine ErainforestE within the waterfall splash zone is a
fragile ecosystem of discontinuous forest on sandy alluium! dependent upon maintenance
of abundant water and high humidity resulting from the spray plume of about =$$ m 6at
ma.imum height7 that can be seen from a distance of =$ #m and 1$ #m from ?ulawayo and
>usa#a roads respectiely. % direct frontage iewing of the falls is possible from both Zambia
and Zimbabwe.

Criterion (viii) The Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls and associated eight steep sided gorges
hae been formed through the changing waterfall positions oer a geological time scale. The
gorges are an outstanding e.ample of rier capture and the erosie forces of the water still
continue to sculpture the hard basalts. These gorges ta#e a zigzag course of a distance of
about 9=$ #m along the Zambezi Rier below the falls. 'een preious waterfalls occupied
the seen gorges below the present falls! and the )eilEs &ataract in Zimbabwe is the
starting point for cutting bac# to a new waterfall. ;n addition! an aerial iew of the falls shows
possible future waterfall positions. ,pstream are a spectacular series of rierine islands
formed during the ongoing geological and geomorphological processes. The property is
characterized by banded basalt of ancient laa flow! :alahari sandstones and chalcedony
out of which stone artefacts ofHomo habilis dating three million years! stone tools of the
middle 'tone %ge and weapons! adornments and digging tools of the late 'tone %ge that
indicate occupation by hunter-gatherers.

Integrity
The transboundary property e.tends oer /!0/$ ha! which is considered relatiely intact and
adeFuately sized to maintain the dierse natural processes! functions and interactions
including the waterfall! gorges! rierine ecosystem! breeding ground! habitat or landing base
for migratory endangered bird species ma#ing it an ;mportant ?ird %rea 6;?%7! laa flows!
ancient stone artefacts and tools for hunter-gatherers. ;t comprises 1223 ha of the Mosi-oa-
Tunya 4ational 5ar# 6Zambia7! "18$ ha of the Victoria Falls 4ational 5ar# 6Zimbabwe7! and
289 ha of the rierine strip of Zambezi 4ational 5ar# 6Zimbabwe7. The boundary includes
areas of the Zambezi Rier upstream of the waterfall both in Zimbabwe and in Zambia. The
remaining area of these protected areas is considered as the buffer zone on either side of
the ZambeziRier in 'outhern Zambia and northwestern Zimbabwe. The Mosioa
Tunya 4ational 5ar# boundaryfollows the left ban# between the 'inde Rier and the 'ongwe
Borge! bounded in the 4orth by)ambwa Forest Resere and the Maramba Township. +n
the right ban#!the Victoria Falls 4ational 5ar# is bounded by the rier from / #m aboe to 9"
#m below the falls and by the town of Victoria Falls on the @est. 'prays from this giant
waterfall can be seen from a distance of 1$ #m from the >usa#a road! Zambia and =$ #m
from ?ulawayo road! Zimbabwe. The system is directly bordered by three protected areas
which sere as buffering system.

!rotection and management re"uirements
The property is protected under the 4ational Aeritage &onseration %ct 693307 and the
Zambia @ildlife %ct on the Zambia part and the Zimbabwe 5ar#s and @ildlife %ct &ap. "$. 98
of "$$0 6reised7 on the Zimbabwean side. This principal legislation proides for legal
protection of the resources within the property. The property has a well defined and buffered
boundary which reFuires clean demarcation. ;t has a (oint ;ntegrated Management 5lan
6(;M57 prepared in a participatory manner! approed by the 'tate 5arties in 4oember "$$2
and being implemented in a participatory manner.
The 5lan addresses specifically Fuestions of transboundary coordination! management of
urban and tourism facilities and funding schemes. ;t is diided into three administratie zones
6Aigh! Medium and >ow Dcologically 'ensitie Zones7! each with specific prescriptions that
best protect the specific resources and alues found in each zone. These are surrounded by
a buffer zone! and there is a challenge to ensure support for conseration within settlements
in this area that pre-date the inscription of the property on the @orld Aeritage >ist.
The agreed institutional framewor# for the management of the property is at three leelsG
(oint Ministerial! (oint Technical and (oint 'ite Management &ommittees.
The property reFuires continued maintenance and updating of its management plan!
supported by adeFuate staffing and proision of financial resources.
The falls being a ma<or attraction! urban infrastructure deelopments! tourism facilities and
serices may impact the property-s integrity and therefore need to be carefully managed not
to compromise the e.ceptional beauty and +utstanding ,niersal Value of the property.
Dffectie and continued action is also reFuired to tac#le the current and potential impacts of
alien species on the property.
>ong )escription
The Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls 4ational 5ar# contains one of the worldEs most
spectacular waterfalls. The falls and associated gorges are an outstanding e.ample of rier
capture and the erosie forces of the water still continues to sculpture the hard basalts. The
comple. of conseration areas in Zimbabwe coers oer 9!08/!2$$ ha e.cluding forest
reseres. The par# abuts )ambwa Forest Resere in Zambia. The falls are the most
significant feature of the par#! and when the Zambezi is in full flood 6usually February or
March7 they form the largest curtain of falling water in the world. )uring these months! oer
=$$ million litres of water per minute go oer the falls! which are 9!2$0 m wide! and drop
33 m at Rainbow Falls in Zambia. %t low water in 4oember flow can be reduced to around
9$ million litres per minute! and the rier is diided into a series of braided channels that
descend in many separate falls.
?elow the falls the rier enters a narrow series of gorges which represent locations
successiely occupied by the falls earlier in their history. 'ince the uplifting of the
Ma#gadi#gadi 5an area some " million years ago! the Zambezi Rier has been cutting
through the basalt! e.ploiting wea# fissures and forming a series of retreating gorges. 'een
preious waterfalls occupied the seen gorges below the present falls! and )eilEs &ataract
in Zimbabwe is the starting point for cutting bac# to a new waterfall that will eentually leae
the present lip high aboe the rier in the gorge below.
The predominant egetation is mopane forest! with small areas of tea# and miombo
woodland and a narrow band of rierine forest along the Zambezi. The rierine ErainforestE
within the waterfall splash zone is of particular interest! a fragile ecosystem of discontinuous
forest on sandy alluium! dependent upon maintenance of abundant water and high humidity
resulting from the spray plume. There are a lot of tree species within this forest and also
some herbaceous species.
&oncerning the fauna! seeral herds of elephant occur in Zambezi 4ational 5ar#!
occasionally crossing to the islands and Zambian mainland during the dry season when
water leels are low. There are small herds of buffalo and wildebeest! as well as zebra!
warthog! giraffe! bushpig and hippopotamus are freFuent aboe the falls. Veret mon#ey and
chacma baboon are common. >ion and leopard are occasionally seen. Taita falcon breeds in
the gorges! as do blac# stor#! blac# eagle! peregrine falcon and augur buzzard.
Victoria Falls forms a geographical barrier between the distinct fish faunas of the upper and
middle Zambezi Rier. 13 species of fish hae been recorded from the waters below the
falls.
Dthnic composition of the people liing in the falls area outside the par#s is a mi.ture of
recent immigrants and long-term occupants! witnessed by stone artefacts of Homo
habilis from 1 million years ago which hae been found near the falls! indicating prolonged
occupation of the area in the middle 'tone %ge. @eapons! adornments and digging tools
indicate the presence of hunter-gathering communities in the late 'tone %ge! displaced
about "!$$$ years ago by farmers using iron tools! which #ept liestoc# and lied in illages.
These are among the most spectacular waterfalls in the world. The Zambezi rier! which is
more than " #m wide at this point! plunges noisily down a series of basalt gorges and raises
an iridescent mist that can be seen more than "$ #m away.
'ourceG ,4D'&+/&>T/@A&
Aistorical )escription
The Victoria Falls Resere 5reseration +rdinance of 9318 established the Victoria Falls
D.ecutie &ommittee to be responsible for the preseration of the falls area. ;n 9380 the
4ational Monuments &ommission established a Victoria Falls &onserancy &ommittee! and
e.tended the protected area downstream to 'ongwe Borge 6confirmed in legislation in
93837. ;n 93=1 the colonial Boernor formed the Victoria Falls Trust! which had responsibility
for the area until the national par# was declared on "= February 932" by 'tatutory
;nstrument 4o. 88 6when the area came under the <urisdiction of the 4ational 5ar#s and
@ildlife 'erice7. There are si. national monuments within the par#! including the falls.
)esignated as a @orld Aeritage site in 9303.