Bangweulu Wetlands, Zambia

Community Involvement

Humans have inhabited the wetland areas for hundreds of years as it provides a seemingly endless supply of fish. Many of the approximately 90,000 local people living in and around the area are direct descendants form the Batwa people who were hunters and fishermen that lived a nomadic lifestyle along the rivers and wetland edges. Over the years, immigrants from the Congo basin have moved into the area and people have formed more permanent communities. Fishing and farming are the main economic and subsistence activities practiced among the Bangweulu communities. Crops include maize, groundnuts and cassava. Other natural resources on which the communities depend heavily include caterpillars, thatching grass, reeds, papyrus, building poles and firewood.

Governance of the project lies with the Bangweulu Wetlands Management Board which consists of representatives from the community (3), African Parks (3) and the Zambia Wildlife Authority (1). African Parks places a lot of emphasis on communicating with and involving the communities to whom the park belongs. As such, African Parks is constantly striving to better their understanding of the needs of the people by conducting local surveys. To further promote a state of transparency and participation, a Community Coordinator has been appointed that oversees six Community Development Facilitators. In addition, in 2009 a look-and-learn trip to Namibia was conducted for all the Chiefs in the area allowing them to witness first hand a community conservation model which has been running for over 15 years.

A community camp site (The Nsobe Community Camp Site) has been developed, the revenue of which goes directly to the local community that manage it. A Community Development Fund has also been established and the funds accrued have to date been allocated to building a maternity wing at one of the local clinics, teachers' housing, clinic officer housing, grinding mills, bee keeping facilities, a market building and an incinerator and water pump at a health post. The project currently employs 85 people of which all but two are Zambian citizens. This combined with up to 160 casual staff at any one time makes the project one of the largest employers in the region.