North Luangwa National Park is one of Zambia’s pristine wilderness landscapes and home to Zambia’s only Black Rhino population. This 4636Km² park has rich and thriving wildlife populations and a spectacular untouched wilderness.

The North Luangwa Conservation Programme (NLCP), a 37-year partnership between Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) and the Zambian Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW), successfully met the rigorous requirements, as defined by the IUCN Green List for Protected and Conserved Areas, to achieve fair and effective conservation measures and thus were awarded their Green List certification by IUCN. This week the Ministry of Tourism, FZS, the IUCN Green List community and GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) celebrated this achievement on 27^th of March 2023 at Government Complex in Lusaka. North Luangwa became the first site in Southern Africa to attain this status and only the 6^th across Africa.

The IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas is designed to ensure that protected and conserved areas meet global standards for equitable governance, design and planning, and effective management, which collectively result in proven successful conservation measures.

Emphasised by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Mr Evans Muhanga, in his address, “As a signatory to the Convention of Biodiversity, Zambia is committed to the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) targets and the Green List provides a standard for effective conservation measures, one of the stated objectives in [the GBF] Target 3 aka “30×30”. Zambia is proud to contribute towards the targets we need to achieve as a global community to protect our God given natural resources for the sustainability of our planet in ways that also promote cultural, social, and economic prosperity for rural communities.” The permanent secretary also emphasised the commitment of the Government of the Republic of Zambia in supporting projects and initiatives that promote effective conservation management that puts the local communities as major beneficiaries. He further stated that his Ministry operates on an open-door policy and further pledged support for the Green Listing of other sites with Zambia.

FZS Zambia Director, Mr Ed Sayer, highlighted the importance of

partnerships to achieve success, “our landscapes are vital in the fight against climate change and no one can work alone, we need strong partnerships between the government, in this case DNPW, the international community and the communities that live within the landscapes, that’s why our mission is ‘Linking Livelihoods with Landscape’”.

Ms. Anne Wagner-Mitchell, German Ambassador to Zambia, pledged the continued support of the BMZ under the Triangular Cooperation Project between Germany, China, Namibia and Zambia, implemented by IUCN. The BMZ continues to support this project “Fair and Effective Protected Area Management for Sustainable Development: Working together towards global standards”, a project designed to support 6 sites in Zambia and 5 in Namibia towards achieving IUCN Green List certification.

North Luangwa Conservation Programme sets a benchmark in Zambia for fair and effective conservation measures and is proud to be admitted to the IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas.

Congratulations to the NLCP team!

Photos: Mana Meadows