To recognize the Luangwa National Forest Reserve (LNF) as a high priority area of deforestation and provide immediate improvement, enforcement and implementation of current forest and wildlife regulations to reduce harmful and unsustainable land use while gradually incorporating the affected local communities into a conservancy based conservation model.
Eventually it is hoped that the entire LNF as well as core parts of the Munyamadzi GMA would exist as part of one large conservancy providing benefits to both community welfare and livelihoods as well as biodiversity security.
The Luangwa National Forest reserve (LNF) lies along the western edge of the Luangwa Valley system, an expanse of plateau, valley floor and Muchinga escarpment comprising mostly Zambezian Miombo woodland in excess of 2800 sq kms . Within its boundaries lie varying important ecological zones as well as populations of protected fauna and flora. A large part of the LNF, mostly towards and within the Luangwa Valley overlaps into the Munyamadzi Game Management Area (GMA) and borders the North and South Luangwa National Parks which holds important populations of IUCN Red Book species and is currently designated for Safari Hunting.
The reserve runs mostly south to north being approx. 170 kms at its longest points while the widest part is approx. 35kms within the Munyamadzi corridor.
The western edges and certain sectors within the Luangwa Valley are inhabited by local communities under the customary structures of chiefdoms and utilisation of the land as well as the forest and wildlife is mostly under customary traditions / law. At first glance it appears the mainstay of community land utilisation is chitmene farming followed by small scale beekeeping and timber cutting. In addition deforestation of the miombo woodland is evident for charcoal making along the western boundaries, particularly along the north-western side near Mpika.
Land use appears to be focused away from the unsuitable terrain of the Muchinga escarpment and concentrated along the valley floodplain and foothills while the western side appears to be restricted due to road accessibility however clearcutting and chiteme farming is apparent from aerial surveys
There is limited access to the communities living within and on the edges of the reserve with two main arterial roads running from the Great North road in Northern province, eastward down into the Luangwa valley.
At district and local levels, law enforcement of both Forestry and Wildlife regulations has been poor and lacking, resulting in unabated deforestation, poaching and land degradation. Government departments charged with this task suffer severe budget shortages to manage vast areas of inhospitable terrain and operational staff and equipment is mostly underfunded and lacking.
While the concerned departments have made great strides in initiating National Policy and operational methods and recommendations towards Forest and Wildlife management, it remains the hands on implementation of these new forms of land use and regulations towards biodiversity protection that has seen difficulty in the field.
Local communities have seen little benefit from much of the land and resources that surround them mainly due to ambiguity within the land tenure system and the structures of distribution of wealth and accountability. Thus there has been poor and suspicious support at any attempts to incorporate them into conservation projects.
Nsansala Conservancy is a privately owned conglomeration of land near and on the boundaries adjacent to the Luangwa National Forest Reserve (LNF), with the largest section of land holding slightly over 25,000 acres along the Mupamadzi River near the Kalonje Road region. In addition another 3000 acres closer to Mpika, is established as an operational livestock farming concern with permits to keep indigenous game.
The land lies in what is known as the TAZARA CORRIDOR FARM BLOCK, a patchwork of privately owned farms and ranches most of which are due to harbor livestock if not already populated with cattle, sheep and goats. Predation of livestock is a regular occurrence by Lion, Leopard, Hyena and large Raptors - and retaliation by the owners is usually in the form of poison which has drastic knock on effects.
Development of our land is limited to low impact eco tourism and game ranching principals with a key focus on protection of the land and wildlife not only on the private land but also within the forest reserve. It is recognized that this part of the LNF holds large expanses of undisturbed intact forest and wildlife which will benefit from localised law enforcement and protection and Nsansala Conservancy seeks to provide this under the auspices of both the Forestry and Wildlife Departments.
The intent is to gain management access to the adjacent LNF for an extended period of time in order to showcase this as a viable option for alternative methods of land use and protection as well as a model for other forest and wilderness areas to follow as a measure to ensure biodiversity protection.
A core part of the project plan is based upon the shift in the global climate and conservation agenda from sustainable development to that of “green economy” development, defined by UNEP as ‘an economy that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks’.
It is here that the conservation and regeneration of Zambia's forests and wildlife have a chance of surviving – preventing the key drivers of biodiversity collapse while initiating new and innovative methods of utilising forest and land resources.
It is only from a stable, well protected resource that one can proceed along the lines of sustainable utilisation and renewal ensuring rural livelihoods are supported and productive for all while government benefits from stable renewable forests under the various Biodiversity programs.