Abstract:
Many African protected areas (PAs) are not functioning effectively. We reviewed the performance of Zambia’s PA network
and provide insights into how their effectiveness might be improved. Zambia’s PAs are under-performing in ecological,
economic and social terms. Reasons include: a) rapidly expanding human populations, poverty and open-access systems in
Game Management Areas (GMAs) resulting in widespread bushmeat poaching and habitat encroachment; b) underfunding
of the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) resulting in inadequate law enforcement; c) reliance of ZAWA on extracting
revenues from GMAs to cover operational costs which has prevented proper devolution of user-rights over wildlife to
communities; d) on-going marginalization of communities from legal benefits from wildlife; e) under-development of the
photo-tourism industry with the effect that earnings are limited to a fraction of the PA network; f) unfavourable terms and
corruption which discourage good practice and adequate investment by hunting operators in GMAs; g) blurred
responsibilities regarding anti-poaching in GMAs resulting in under-investment by all stakeholders. The combined effect of
these challenges has been a major reduction in wildlife densities in most PAs and the loss of habitat in GMAs. Wildlife fares
better in areas with investment from the private and/or NGO sector and where human settlement is absent. There is a need
for: elevated government funding for ZAWA; greater international donor investment in protected area management; a shift
in the role of ZAWA such that they focus primarily on national parks while facilitating the development of wildlife-based
land uses by other stakeholders elsewhere; and new models for the functioning of GMAs based on joint-ventures between
communities and the private and/or NGO sector. Such joint-ventures should provide defined communities with ownership
of land, user-rights over wildlife and aim to attract long-term private/donor investment. These recommendations are
relevant for many of the under-funded PAs occurring in other African countries.
