In northern Zimbabwe, Mana Pools National Park occupies a broad reach of the lower Zambezi where river channels, alluvial woodland and seasonal floodplain meet. It lies in Mashonaland West, along the Zambezi opposite Zambia. The park’s name is Shona for “four” and refers to four pools identified by Zimbabwe’s parks authority: Green Pool, Chisasiko, Chine and Long Pool. Their presence is part of a changing river system, not a set of permanent lakes with identical water levels throughout the year.
The pools are former channels of the Zambezi. Floodwater spreads over low ground in the wet season, then recedes, leaving water and fresh growth that draw wildlife during drier months. UNESCO describes this continuing cycle of erosion, deposition and plant succession as a defining natural process. Cliffs rise south of the valley, while the river forms the northern boundary; the contrast between escarpment, open floodplain and wooded patches gives the landscape its scale.