Zambia

Years of support 0

HECTARES FUNDED 0 (177,742 acres)

 

Zambia is a land-locked, tropical country which takes its name from the magnificent Zambezi River, the fourth-longest river in Africa. Much of the country lies on a high plateau without much variation in altitude so it appears much flatter than its mountainous neighbours.

Zambia is home to more intact Miombo woodland than any other country in the world, which includes typical miombo flora of high trees with shrub and grassland underneath. The country is also characterised by large lakes, wetlands, vast floodplains, and spectacular waterfalls.

 
 

The differences between the temperature and rainfall across the wet and dry seasons means that Zambian wildlife have adapted to 15 natural ecosystem types. Zambia is also the host of the world’s biggest mammal migration, with around 10 million Straw-coloured Fruit Bats migrating to the evergreen swamp forests of Kasanka National Park each year.

Deforestation is a key ecological issue facing the country, caused in large part by commercial agriculture and open-cast mining,

 

Our Partners in Zambia

Current Projects in Zambia

 
Mulembo CFMA

Over the past two years, WLT has supported Kasanka Trust to secure 20,000 hectares of land through the declaration of two Community Forest Management Areas (CFMAs). These will be located within the Kafinda Game Management Area located in the Greater Kasanka Landscape and will ensure forest permanence and a sustainable income source for the CFMAs. Carbon benefits will be derived from voided deforestation and forest degradation within these two CFMAs, including from the reduced risk of forest fires. Moreover, the local communities will be further enabled to manage their forests and to both diversify and enhance their rural livelihoods. To do so, a Community Forest Management Group has initiated ecological zoning and management planning, and will take on the responsibility for implementing emission-reduction activities.

This Carbon Balanced project is expected to increase carbon sinks, and sequester 5,884 tCO2e. Additionally, it will offer habitat for the last surviving African Elephant population in the Upper Congo system, as well as the three Critically Endangered vulture species. Ensuring the long-term integrity of this forested landscape will also provide habitat for the 10 million Straw-coloured Fruit Bats that migrate to Kasanka each year. The project will involve the training of community forest guards, fire management and anti-poaching patrols. Kasanka Trust will also oversee research and monitoring initiatives to measure the impact of the project on climate, communities, and biodiversity.

Habitat scene, Zambia

Key species protected by WLT projects

 

Get the latest news from our Zambia projects