다양한 정보Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls
These are among the most spectacular waterfalls in the world.
The Zambezi River, which is more than 2 km wide at this point,
plunges noisily down a series of basalt gorges and raises
an iridescent mist that can be seen more than 20 km away.
Outstanding Universal Value
Brief synthesis
The Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls is the world’s greatest sheet of falling
water and significant worldwide for its exceptional geological and
geomorphological features and active land formation processes
with outstanding beauty attributed to the falls i.e. the spray,
mist and rainbows. This transboundary property extends over
6860 ha and comprises 3779 ha of the Mosi-oa-Tunya
National Park (Zambia), 2340 ha of Victoria Falls National
Park (Zimbabwe), 741 ha of the riverine strip of Zambezi
National Park (Zimbabwe). A riverine strip of the Zambezi
National Park extending 9 km west along the right bank of the
Zambezi and islands in the river are all within the Park as far
as Palm and Kandahar Islands, with the Victoria Falls being one
of the major attractions. The waterfall stands at an altitude of
about 915 m above mean sea level (a.m.s.l.) and spans to about
1708 m wide with an average depth of 100 m and the deepest
point being 108 m. Sprays from this giant waterfall can be seen
from a distance of 30 km from the Lusaka road, Zambia and 50 km
from Bulawayo road, Zimbabwe. Basalts have been cut by a river
system producing a series of eight spectacular gorges that
serve as breeding sites for four species of endangered birds. The
basalts of the Victoria Falls World Heritage property are layered
unlike those of the Giants Causeway World Heritage
site which are vertical and columnar.
Criterion (vii): The Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls is the largest
curtain of falling water in the world; it is 1708 m wide and with
up to 500 million litres per minute descending at 61 m (Devil’s Cataract),
83 m (Main Falls), 99 m (Rainbow Falls), 98 m (Eastern Cataract).
Eight spectacular gorges of igneous origin (i.e. comprising basalts)
and several islands in the core zone serve as breeding sites for
four endangered and migratory bird species, such as the Taita
Falcon and Black Eagle. The riverine 'rainforest' within the
waterfall splash zone is a fragile ecosystem of discontinuous
forest on sandy alluvium, dependent upon maintenance of
abundant water and high humidity resulting from the spray
plume of about 500 m (at maximum height) that can be seen
from a distance of 50 km and 30 km from Bulawayo and Lusaka
roads respectively. A direct frontage viewing of the falls is
possible from both Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Criterion (viii): The Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls and associated
eight steep sided gorges have been formed through the changing
waterfall positions over a geological time scale. The gorges are an
outstanding example of river capture and the erosive forces
of the water still continue to sculpture the hard basalts. These
gorges take a zigzag course of a distance of about 150 km along
the Zambezi River below the falls. Seven previous waterfalls
occupied the seven gorges below the present falls, and the
Devil's Cataract in Zimbabwe is the starting point for cutting
back to a new waterfall. In addition, an aerial view of the
falls shows possible future waterfall positions. Upstream are a
spectacular series of riverine islands formed during the ongoing
geological and geomorphological processes. The property
is characterized by banded basalt of ancient lava flow, Kalahari
sandstones and chalcedony out of which stone artefacts of
Homo habilis dating three million years, stone tools of the
middle Stone Age and weapons, adornments and digging
tools of the late Stone Age that indicate
occupation by hunter-gatherers.
Integrity
The transboundary property extends over 6860 ha, which
is considered relatively intact and adequately sized to
maintain the diverse natural processes, functions and
interactions including the waterfall, gorges, riverine ecosystem,
breeding ground, habitat or landing base for migratory
endangered bird species making it an Important Bird Area
(IBA), lava flows, ancient stone artefacts and tools for hunter-gatherers.
It comprises 3779 ha of the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park (Zambia),
2340 ha of the Victoria Falls National Park (Zimbabwe),
and 741 ha of the riverine strip of Zambezi National Park (Zimbabwe).
The boundary includes areas of the Zambezi River 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 Zambezi River in Southern Zambia
and north‐western Zimbabwe. The Mosi‐oa‐Tunya National Park
boundary follows the left bank between the Sinde River
and the Songwe Gorge, bounded in the North by Dambwa
Forest Reserve and the Maramba Township. On the right bank,
the Victoria Falls National Park is bounded by the river from
6 km above to 12 km below the falls and by the town
of Victoria Falls on the West. Sprays from this giant waterfall
can be seen from a distance of 30 km from the Lusaka road,
Zambia and 50 km from Bulawayo road, Zimbabwe.
The system is directly bordered by three protected
areas which serve as buffering system.
Protection and management requirements
The property is protected under the National Heritage
Conservation Act (1998) and the Zambia Wildlife Act on
the Zambia part and the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Act Cap.
20. 14 of 2008 (revised) on the Zimbabwean side. This principal
legislation provides for legal protection of the resources within
the property. The property has a well-defined and buffered
boundary which requires clean demarcation. It has a Joint Integrated
Management Plan (JIMP) prepared in a participatory manner,
approved by the State Parties in November 2007 and being
implemented in a participatory manner.
The Plan addresses specifically questions of transboundary
coordination, management of urban and tourism facilities
and funding schemes. It is divided into three administrative
zones (High, Medium and Low Ecologically Sensitive Zones),
each with specific prescriptions that best protect the specific
resources and values found in each zone. These are
surrounded by a buffer zone, and there is a challenge to
ensure support for conservation within settlements in this
area that pre-date the inscription of the property on the World Heritage List.
The agreed institutional framework for the management
of the property is at three levels: Joint Ministerial, Joint
Technical and Joint Site Management Committees.
The property requires continued maintenance and updating
of its management plan, supported by adequate staffing
and provision of financial resources.
The falls being a major attraction, urban infrastructure
developments, tourism facilities and services may impact the
property’s integrity and therefore need to be carefully
managed not to compromise the exceptional beauty
and Outstanding Universal Value of the property.
Effective and continued action is also required to tackle
the current and potential impacts
of alien species on the property.
