Iona National Park is situated in the south-west corner of Angola and constitutes the northern tip of the Namib Desert, considered to be the oldest desert in the world. Iconic for its red sand dunes, shipwrecked coast, and Welwitschia mirabilis plants, it is contiguous with Skeleton Coast National Park in Namibia, creating – in conjunction with the Namib Partial Reserve to the north – one of the largest transfrontier conservation areas (TFCAs) in the world. Together, they cover nearly 50,000 km2, of which Iona National Park spans 15,150 km2.
With its exceptional biodiversity and remarkable landscapes, Iona was first declared a protected area in 1937, before being designated Iona National Park in 1964. However, four decades of conflict led to the local extinction of many species, including black rhino and elephant, and the flight of local communities to Namibia. With the end of the conflict, communities began returning to the park, where viable populations of zebra, oryx and springbok remained, along with remnant populations of cheetah, leopard and brown hyaena.
Seeking to conserve this extraordinary landscape, in December 2019 the Angolan Government partnered with African Parks to manage Iona and ensure its long-term ecological, social, and economic sustainability, for both its wildlife and its people. Plans to restore species previously lost to the landscape began with the reintroduction of Angolan giraffe in 2023 and 2024. Although increasing numbers of people and livestock have placed pressure on the ecosystem in recent years, continuous positive community engagement is contributing to successful community integration into sustainable management practices in the park.
In less than five years, with the commitment of the government and ongoing engagement with communities, Iona is moving steadily towards sustainable coexistence of people and wildlife. With conservation and optimisation of tourism and other sustainable revenue-generating activities, Iona has the potential to support healthy ecosystems, both terrestrial and at the terrestrial-marine interface.
