Sustainable Luangwa: Securing Luangwa’s water resources for shared socioeconomic and environmental benefits through integrated catchment management

The project targets the Luangwa Upper Sub-Catchment in Zambia's Muchinga Province, specifically focusing on the Mafinga Hills National Forest Reserve and surrounding lands. It aims to combat deforestation and land degradation caused by shifting agriculture (chitemene), unsustainable wood collection, and forest fires. The strategy involves improving the management of the Mafinga Hills NFR, establishing a new Water Resource Protection Area (WRPA), and promoting climate-resilient conservation agriculture and community forestry. The project is funded by the GEF and implemented by the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment with technical support from WWF.

• The project aims to improve the management effectiveness of the Mafinga Hills National Forest Reserve (15,500 ha), targeting an increase in its METT score from 26 to 68.
• A primary goal is the creation of a new Water Resource Protection Area (WRPA) in the Luangwa headwaters, estimated at approximately 25,000 ha, which would be the first implementation of the WRM Act of 2011 for establishing such an area in Zambia.
• The project targets the restoration of 900 hectares of forest and forest land, including 300 ha of assisted natural regeneration within the Mafinga Hills NFR and adjacent lands, and 600 ha of community woodlots.
• Approximately 40,000 hectares of landscape outside protected areas will be brought under improved management practices, including conservation agriculture and community forestry.
• The project identifies shifting agriculture, specifically the 'chitemene' practice involving burning large areas, as a primary driver of deforestation and soil erosion in the Luangwa Upper Sub-catchment.
• The Luangwa River is highlighted as one of the last long free-flowing rivers in Zambia and one of the largest unaltered river systems in southern Africa, supporting approximately 1.8 million people in its catchment.
• The project targets 2,600 direct beneficiaries, including 1,310 men and 1,290 women, primarily from local communities and government staff.
• Mafinga District is characterized as having high vulnerability to climate change, driven by rainfall variability, drought, flood risks, and low adaptive capacity.
• The project will implement a community-based approach to reduce pressure on the Mafinga Hills NFR by establishing community forest management groups and promoting conservation agriculture linked to markets via social enterprises like COMACO.
• The total project cost is estimated at $24,738,355, consisting of $2,889,155 in GEF Trust Fund financing and $21,849,200 in co-financing.

APA

WWF International (2021). Sustainable Luangwa: Securing Luangwa’s water resources for shared socioeconomic and environmental benefits through integrated catchment management. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1007/n27tyycpk_424uj8rw31_10412_WWF_GEF_CEO_ER_Sustainable_Luangwa_revised_6_Oct_2021_2_.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. Sustainable Luangwa: Securing Luangwa’s water resources for shared socioeconomic and environmental benefits through integrated catchment management. 2021. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1007/n27tyycpk_424uj8rw31_10412_WWF_GEF_CEO_ER_Sustainable_Luangwa_revised_6_Oct_2021_2_.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Sustainable Luangwa: Securing Luangwa’s water resources for shared socioeconomic and environmental benefits through integrated catchment management |date=6 October 2021 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1007/n27tyycpk_424uj8rw31_10412_WWF_GEF_CEO_ER_Sustainable_Luangwa_revised_6_Oct_2021_2_.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2021sustainable, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Sustainable Luangwa: Securing Luangwa’s water resources for shared socioeconomic and environmental benefits through integrated catchment management}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2021}, month = oct, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1007/n27tyycpk_424uj8rw31_10412_WWF_GEF_CEO_ER_Sustainable_Luangwa_revised_6_Oct_2021_2_.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }