Positive community engagement determines the success of conservation initiatives in Zambia. WLCP works with local communities to provide alternative methods of livelihood support that enhance the long term sustainability of the natural resource and add value to existing cultural systems of harvest.

Community Game Ranching

To reduce illegal hunting within the West Lunga ecosystem, WLCP is working to create community game reserves that provide legal bush meat for surrounding communities. This alternative aims to decrease the demand for illegal bush meat while providing a legitimate business opportunity for Community Business Units. Through its partnerships with the Ntambu Royal Establishment, WWF, DNPW and FQM, WLCP has facilitated the “Ntambu Community Game Reserve” and plans to open more in the coming years. These community game reserves are strategically placed to decrease illegal access to the protected areas and provide employment opportunities for communities to protect and grow the resource.

Sustainable Beekeeping

Beekeeping has been a livelihood in Northwestern Zambia for centuries through the use of traditional bark beehives and hunting for wild honey. With the growth in the market for Zambian honey, these techniques are becoming more and more destructive to the West Lunga ecosytem. Communities enter GMAs to cut trees for wild honey or strip trees of their bark to make bark beehives. These methods are not sustainable. WLCP has partnered with Nature’s Nectar, a social enterprise aiming at producing Zambia’s most sustainable honey with communities living directly near conservation areas and national parks. Nature’s Nectar works with these communities to provide sustainable top bar beehives that do not take from the local forest, but provide an incentive to protect it. It is the goal of WLCP and Nature’s Nectar to provide a minimum of 50,000 top bar beehives to communities and provide a premium market to all farmers producing honey.

Community Based Tourism

WLCP works with communities to create tourism based economies that allow for all people to visit these areas. Currently, Kafunfula Community Camp in the Musele Chiefdom offers just that. It is located across the river from the Ntambu Community Game Reserve and provides beautiful views of the Kabompo River. This camp is the first of its kind in the West Lunga ecosystem and more will be coming in the near future. Located about 2.5 hours’ drive from Kalumbila Town, this camp offers self-catering, running water and tented accommodation.

Future Livelihood Opportunities

WLCP is working with the Department of Fisheries and WWF to develop a fisheries management plan that aims to improve yields and grow the natural fishery. Sustainable harvests of non-timber forest products are being investigated and carbon offset potential is being assessed. If you or your organisation are interested in getting involved in providing livelihood opportunities to West Lunga communities, please contact us.