All national parks are equal, but some parks are more equal than others.
One of my most loved photos from 2017 is an image I took at Chunga Lagoon in Lochinvar National Park. An image of a wildlife police officer and a fisherman. Friends and at times enemies, side by side, making the most of their current situation. This image brought to mind the George Owell quote that seems to encapsulate the plight of some of our less loved and/or acknowledged national parks.

Zambia’s conservation space is currently going through what could be termed an awakening and public outcry about the proposition to operate an open pit copper mine in the Lower Zambezi National Park. It seems a court ruling from a couple of weeks ago has awakened a slumbering community. Resulting in cohesion, mobilization, and uniting of Zambians from different walks of life to speak up against this proposed mine.
There have been activist groups set up with plans to protest, lobby and appeal. Big wig CSOs have issued joint statements condemning and appealing to the government of the day. Certain government officials have also spoken against the proposed project and even Zambia’s first and fourth republican presidents have stated — no mining in Lower Zambezi. It is clear that there is a lot of public will fighting for the preservation of this national park. Or is there? Admittedly one of the country’s more popular and higher earning parks; Lower Zambezi seems to be a family fave.
The discussion around Lower Zambezi has raised the age old discussion around conversation vs economic gain, and just how holistic and inclusive natural resources management in Zambia truly is.
There are different camps when it comes to this and there is no denying the sentiment that the average Zambian could care less what happens to Lower Zambezi. Some of this apathy is steeped in limited appreciation of the great outdoors which could be due to several reasons. A discussion on education, exposure and indigenous knowledge can be slotted in here but that’s enough subject matter for another article. It is fact however that the average Zambian is struggling to put food on the table and especially those that live right next to these national parks.
The spotlight on Lower Zambezi has brought to the fore issues of community based natural resources management as well as the overall management of our protected area network. It is great that people are standing up against mining in Lower Zambezi but where has the outcry been when smaller national parks have been turned into mining havens?
Nestled in southern Zambia, Lochinvar is just a few hours drive from Lusaka. It has the potential to be a wonderful tourist destination as it is home to the endemic Kafue Lechwe and supports thousands of beautiful water birds. Lochinvar like many smaller and lesser known parks is in trouble. It has within it, mineral exploration for geothermal energy as well as a full on gypsum mine operation. This is the tip of the iceberg for this national park as it is riddled with poaching, human encroachment, illegal fishing and alien invasive species.

Due in part to its apparent lesser known status, it seems Lochinvar has received limited fight from the conservation community. Very little, if any public outcry and why could this be? Does the protected area status of Lochinvar matter less because it is not home to major tourist operators? Did the information regarding mining in Lochinvar not reach the right lobby groups? Are we resigned to the fact that some parks simply don’t matter, and therefore biodiversity loss within them for economic gain is acceptable? Is Lochinvar the less important family member because it is not a breadwinner/cash cow? All questions that can be pondered.
As the conversation around Lower Zambezi heats up and likely eventually fizzles out due to either a complete halt to the project or the dreaded mine going ahead; it is my hope that it helps us focus on all the other national parks in Zambia. May this uproar help us query and improve synergies between the legislative and institutional framework that underpins NRM in Zambia. May the mismatch in legislation around mineral rights vs protected area status be addressed. This spotlight on conservation would also an ideal time to pragmatically address the limited community benefits from protected areas and to work on attracting necessary partnerships to help maintain Zambia’s beautiful national parks.
The most loved picture from 2017 shows a fisherman and a wildlife police officer wading on the shores of Chunga Lagoon at sunset. An image that epitomizes what Lochinvar and many other parks have become; places resigned to all kinds of human activity; even the unsustainable. A marriage of convenience, a warped symbiosis because in many ways the less popular parks have not attracted worthwhile partnerships or functional co-management efforts.
There is need to do better by these parks and especially the communities expected to live side by side in “perfect harmony”. It is these communities that will be welcoming of mines within the parks because at least a mine offers hope of a job and steady stream of income.
There is need to revisit how and why conservation is done and as well as the grandiose statements made about what is meant to be achieved whilst protecting these wildlife sanctuaries.
May this discussion go way beyond Lower Zambezi, may it cause us to question how we are approaching conservation; our fairness, our favoritism, our blind spots and at times hypocrisy when it comes to tackling this complex issue.
