Your Cart
The Mpanshya Wildlife corridor is of rich biodiversity significance as it links two of the most valuable ecosystems in Zambia, from the Lower Zambezi National Park to South Luangwa National Park, to combine one of the last remaining wildlife strongholds left on Earth.
| We are delighted to share that our Government partners through the Forestry Department officially approved the establishment of the 15,000+ hectare Mpanshya Wildlife Corridor. This strategic corridor links two of Zambia’s most important biodiversity areas of the Lower Zambezi and Luangwa ecosystems. Preserving this corridor will help with wildlife gene flow for generations to come. This link is a direct result of Mpanshya Chiefdom’s vision towards a healthy connected landscape that is carbon-financed, together with the Zambian Government’s innovative approach to combating climate change through a green economy. The corridor crosses the Great East Highway and protects, in perpetuity, a path across this important highway. The need for a corridor became more acute when elephant were recorded crossing the highway for the first time in years and scientists tracked wild dog from South Luangwa to near the north of the corridor.
“The Mpanshya corridor is so important because it means this passage for animals is safe and will help restore wildlife and help reduce issues of human-wildlife conflict. Recently Kudu was spotted where it has not been seen before in the corridor. One community – Kamweshya Village did not have access to clean water before we partnered with BCP under the LCFP. People had to collect water from streams (sometimes dirty!), but since receiving REDD+ revenue, the community invested in repairing the roads to the village, which gave access to the drilling company to drill 4 boreholes in the village. This in itself is truly life-changing!” “BCP is proud to have supported the Mpanshya Community and Government to establish this vital corridor. According to National Geographic, the Luangwa-Lower Zambezi ecosystem is one of the last 10 strongholds on earth for lions. For wide-ranging species like wild dog and elephant, this type of connectivity is important long-term. An advantage of this corridor is that it is sustainably financed long term through carbon, and its protection not dependent on tourism or philanthropy.” |
| The Significance |
| There is an ever-increasing demand across the continent to support a booming population, with unsustainable farming practices, charcoal production, and logging taking its toll on African forests to a detrimental extent. Globally, it is estimated that 23% of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture, forestry, and other land use. An estimated 60% of Zambia’s population depends on subsistence farming for their livelihoods, while globally, subsistence farming accounts for 48% of the world’s deforestation! Although one of the most forested countries in Africa for the time being, Zambia’s deforestation is among the highest in the World, losing an average of 196,000 hectares of valuable wildlife habitat annually. With the mighty African elephant now officially listed as endangered, and Wild Dog numbers down to as few as 6,600 across the entire continent, and the very real impacts of climate change and global warming having severe impacts on food security in countries across Africa, this milestone of connecting two of the last remaining wildlife strongholds in the world isn’t just a win for us, it’s a win for the World.
To find out more about BCP and the life-changing impacts REDD+ is bringing to our community partners check out our award-winning Impact Report here. |
