Iona National Park

National park in Angola

Iona National Park (Portuguese: Parque Nacional do Iona) is the largest and oldest national park in Angola. It is situated in the Southwestern corner of the country, in Namibe Province. It is roughly bound by the Atlantic Ocean to the West, an escarpment to the East that marks the beginning of the interior plateau, the Curoca River to the North, and the Cunene River to the South. It is about south of the city of Namibe and covers 5850 square miles (15,151 km2) sq. miles. The topography of Iona is characterised by shifting dunes, vast plains, and rough mountains and cliffs. Rainfall varies from about 100 mm on the coast to 300 mm or more on the eastern border. The Curoca River is intermittent but has lagoons, while the Cunene is permanent and has marshy areas at its mouth. Iona was proclaimed as a reserve in 1937 and upgraded to a national park in 1964. It is the oldest protected area in Angola. However, as is true for most Angolan parks, the Angolan Civil War greatly disrupted the area. Poaching and the destruction of infrastructure caused considerable damage to the once rich park. Starting around 2009, a number of government and international projects have worked on rebuilding the infrastructure of the park, which will hopefully invite tourists back. Tourism can provide tangible economic value to surrounding communities, giving them a reason to protect the park. However, a study published in 2019 reported that while the local population recognized the benefits of the park, they were concerned for their historical and current use of the land. In 2024, there were 135 employees. The park is contiguous with the Skeleton Coast National Park in Namibia, which is itself contiguous with the Namib Naukluft National Park so that all three protected areas form a continuous block covering some 50,000 km2 of Namib Desert coastline and adjacent dunes.

Because of its distinctive habitat and climate, Iona and the Kaokoveld Desert have a number of endemic animals, particularly reptiles. Of the 63 species recorded in the ecoregion, eight are strictly endemic. The endemics include two lizards, three geckos, and three skinks. In 2022, there were 75 amphibian and reptile species recorded. The civil war eradicated the elephant and rhino populations. In 2024, the park supported viable populations of zebra, oryx, and springbok. There was also a remnant population of cheetah, leopard, and brown hyena. Other animals include aardwolf, chacma baboon, and the vervet monkey. A massive undertaking in July 2023 saw 14 Angolan giraffe return to the park. a multinational program under the UNDP worked with the Ministry of Environment (MINAMB) and local leaders to rehabilitate the park. Results have been recorded in the training and development of local staff, improvements to park infrastructure (fencing, roads, water supply, waste management, etc. ), and the development of sound management for Iona. In 2018, the Iona Skeleton Coast Transfrontier Conservation Area was established. The TFCA covered a region from northern Namibia to southern Angola. This 3 year project was designed to implement conservation monitoring technology across country borders. In January 2020, Iona National Park fell under the management of African Parks, a non governmental organization (NGO) focused on conservation. Together with the government, African Parks works closely with local communities, implements law enforcement, and restores wildlife. They work to position the park as a key destination and to ensure the long term ecological, social, and economic sustainability of Iona National Park.