Luangwa Valley | Amakali Conservation Trust

person crosses the Luangwa river on foot next to two hippopotamus in Zambia

Luangwa valley, zambia

Location: Luambe-Lukusuzi Landscape, Eastern Zambia

Ecoregion: Zambezian–Mopane savanna woodland

Landscape: Riverine landscape with woodlands, floodplains and seasonal lagoons

Flora & fauna: Baobab, mopane, elephants, buffalos, hippos, antelopes, large carnivores and >400 bird species

Nsanga Conservation Zambia is a local conservation organisation working in the Luangwa Valley to protect large natural landscapes by combining ecological research with community-led action. Its work involves collecting ecological and social data, monitoring wildlife and ecosystems, and encouraging local communities to become active stewards of their environment. Nsanga strengthens biodiversity and community resilience in and around the Luambe and Lukusuzi National Parks by promoting human-wildlife coexistence and forming partnerships with local chiefdoms, the Department of National Parks & Wildlife, universities, and other key conservation stakeholders.

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Key threats:

Poaching, habitat encroachment, illegal mining and logging

Main challenges:

Climate change (droughts and floods), food security, habitat fragmentation and loss, human-wildlife conflicts, and limited uptake of development initiatives

Goals:

Achieving national and international recognition for Luambe National Park as a key ecological corridor in the Luangwa Valley that benefits local communities

Needs:

Community capacity building events on nature stewardship and resource management
Human-wildlife conflict management toolbox
Alternative livelihood creation
School excursions into the national parks
Robust field clothes for wildlife monitors and rangers (e.g., boots, uniforms, hats, etc.)
High-quality field equipment and technologies (e.g., binoculars, radios, GPS devices, camera-traps, etc.)
Updated park infrastructure (e.g., water pumps, solar panels)
Improved emergency responses (e.g., droughts, fires, wildlife injuries/diseases)

Wildlife monitoring & environmental protection

Human-wildlife conflict mitigation

Research, education & public outreach

Community-based initiatives

Support monitoring of priority species and ecosystem health in and around national parks to anticipate and manage threats

Provide field teams and communities with a toolbox for managing human-wildlife conflicts, to help prevent them and provide rapid support

Advance ethical research, build local capacity, share scientific and educational materials, raise public awareness and provide learning opportunities

Facilitate community-based engagement activities to cultivate a sense of stewardship for nature, increase interest in conservation, and promote sustainability

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

elephant stands surrounded by trees and bushes in luambe national park in zambia

school child paints a carmine bee eater in school wall

buffalo amakali conservation trust zambia luambe

rangers record information on wildlife and illegal activities in national park in zambia

amakali conservation trust zebra luangwa luambe

children paint school walls with vultures and natural ecosystems as an educational activity

elephant dung pile near a village in the luangwa valley in zambia

lioness with a radio tracking collar walking through the tall grass in the night

giraffe and pukus stand in an open grassland in luambe national park in the luangwa valley in zambia

elephant stands next to a large sausage tree in luambe national park in luangwa valley in zambia

biologists record giraffe sightings on a computer

a group of vultures fly from a carcass they were feeding on in luambe national park, zambia

Nsanga Conservation and Amakali share a common vision to support nature conservation, research, education and sustainable development in the Luangwa Valley and beyond through coordinated activities that are financially secure, scientifically sound, community-based, inclusive and ethical.

Having collaborated on community conservation and ecological research, we have witnessed the clear necessity and strong potential of effective landscape conservation management in driving long-term positive regional development.