canoes
used
by
fishermen
for
gillnet
fishing.
Credit:
Joshua
Matanzima
Dr.
Joshua
Matanzima,
from
the
International
Water
Centre
based
at
Griffith,
is
a
Zimbabwean
researcher
whose
personal
connection
to
the
dangers
of
living
by
Lake
Kiriba
offered
insights
into
the
risks—his
late
brother’s
wife
was
taken
by
a
crocodile
while
fishing
in
the lake,
which
is
an
all-too-common
occurrence
in
the
region.
Lake
Kariba,
a
man-made
reservoir
built
in
1957,
is
a
striking
landscape
near
Victoria
Falls,
known
for
its
breathtaking
views
and
quintessential
African
wildlife—including
elephants,
buffaloes,
lions,
birds,
hippos,
and
crocodiles—that
depend
on
its
bountiful
fish
stock.
However,
beneath
the
surface
of
this
picturesque
setting
lies
a
grim
reality.
The
lake,
once
home
to
nearly
60,000
people
before
it
was
dammed,
has
become
a
sacred
and
dangerous
space
where
humans
and
wildlife
compete
for
food
and
territory.
This
competition
result
in
conflict,
a
theme
that
Dr.
Matanzima
uncovered
in
depth
in
his
recent
book.
In
Zimbabwe,
villagers
rely
on
the
lake
for
food
and
livelihoods,
often
venturing
into
crocodile
and
hippo
territory
with
little
awareness
of
the
dangers.
Unlike
in
Australia,
where
clear
signage
warns
against
the
risks
of
crocodile-infested
waters
in
the
northern
states
and
territories,
Lake
Kariba
lacks
proper
safety
measures
or
reliable
recorded
data
on
the
deaths
and
injuries
that
occur
each
year.
His
research
discovers
that
often
incidents
involving
minor
injuries
go
unreported.
Lack
of
data
prevents
the
proper
and
effective
management
of
the
conflicts.
“Several
fishing
communities
are
in
the
immediate
vicinity
of
the
Lake,
but
people
from
communities
far
from
the
Lake,
such
as
Kariba
town,
visit
the
Lake
on
a
daily
basis
for
their
livelihoods.
exposing
themselves
to
attacks
from
crocodiles
and
hippos,”
Dr.
Matanzima
said.
“Human
attacks
by
hippos
and
crocodiles
are
perpetuated
by
inadequate
awareness
campaigns,
and economic
hardship that
drives
people
to
encroach
on
the
lake,
even
when
it
is
dangerous.”
Climate
change
has
only
intensified
the
struggle.
As food
sources for
wildlife
become
scarce,
people
and
animals
are
drawn
into
even
closer,
more
dangerous
proximity.
Men
in
canoes
and
women
fishing
on
the
banks
are
routinely
at
risk
of
deadly
encounters.
Dr.
Matanzima’s
latest
release,
“The
Materiality
of
Lake
Kariba:
Water,
Livelihoods,
Belonging
and
Conservation,”
calls
on
the
Zimbabwean
government
to
take
action,
urging
them
to
fund
awareness
campaigns
about
the
lake’s
dangers
and
to
support
alternative
income
streams
for
the
villagers,
who
face
over
90%
unemployment.
His
work
aims
to
bring
international
attention
to
this
tragic
situation,
where
life
by
the
lake
is
a
daily
fight
for
survival.
“The
villages
are
calling
for
the
culling
of
crocodiles
and
hippos
to
reduce
their
number
from
the
lake,”
Dr.
Matanzima
said.
“One
villager
said,
‘We
now
have
too
many
crocodiles
in
the
lake
and
there
is
no
culling
that
is
going
on.
National
Parks
stopped
culling
a
long
time
ago.’
“The
villagers
also
want
the
problem
crocodiles
to
be
shot
immediately
after
an
incident
so
that
they
do
not
keep
attacking
humans.
However,
some
villagers
bemoan
that
when
an
incident
occurs—National
Parks
takes
time
to
arrive
at
the
scene
and
also
they
do
not
kill
crocodiles
involved
in
conflicts.
As
one
fisherman
noted:
‘they
shoot
in
the
sky.’
“There
is
a
need
to
listen
to
communities
and
incorporate
their
suggestions
into
conservation
policies
and
the
management
of
human-wildlife
conflict
in
this
region.
This
will
minimize
human-to-human
conflicts
over
wildlife
that
are
also
a
wicked
problem
at
Kariba
that
often
exacerbates
these
animal
attacks
on
humans.
“Culling
of
crocodiles
and
hippos
is
required
in
instances
where
communities
feel
like
the
creatures’
numbers
are
increasing.”
Post
published
in:
Featured