forest protection in the Luangwa valley, Zambia

The Luangwa Community Forests project aims to protect natural forest areas on the Zambezi and Luangwa river systems, thereby creating a green corridor between different national parks by tackling - in cooperation with the village communities - the poverty-related causes of deforestation.

 

This includes, in particular, efforts to counteract unsustainable land use by creating alternative income opportunities. The project, which is being implemented in close cooperation with the Zambian forest and national park management authorities, is currently protecting around 766,000 hectares of forest in the Luangwa Valley in Zambia's Eastern Province.

 

In a second development phase, the protected area will be expanded to over 3 million hectares, making the project one of the largest REDD+ projects in the world.