South Luangwa and Lower Zambezi safari, Zambia

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION

This itinerary is structured to include two different areas of the South Luangwa which can be linked by road transfers, rather than utilising an internal flight to fly between two camps. Kafunta River Lodge and Island Bush Camp can be linked by vehicle and still provide a different experience to the traveler.

Walking safaris are a feature of this trip throughout, reducing the reliance on vehicles. The second camp in the itinerary, Island Bush Camp, is primarily a walking camp, thus reducing the carbon impact of this camp compared to a camp which focuses solely on activities in a diesel game drive vehicle.

ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE

The second camp included in this trip, Island Bush Camp and this was established in a very remote area of the South Luangwa National Park, which was previously overlooked and therefore subject to poaching. The continued presence of this camp in this part of park, as funded by tourism, directly impacts the survival of wildlife in the region.

In the unfenced Zambezi Valley, human-wildlife conflict has posed a severe threat to the local farmers, with elephants, hippo and buffalo raiding their crops on a frequent basis. In order to mitigate this loss, the final camp in the itinerary - Baines’ River Camp - has worked closely together with Chieftainess Chiyaba, and put together a cooperative of 35 farmers and a team of international experts to create the first local farming enterprise in the area, thus benefiting the community and also reducing human-wildlife conflict. Ten hectares of uncultivated land in one of the villages was allocated for the benefit of this pilot project. The members of the cooperative worked the land whilst Baines’ River Camp engaged the services of the professional team, provided the materials for a solar powered electrified fence and the equipment to clear and prepare the land for the first crop. This project was initially assisted by generous external donors. Since then, Baines’ River Camp further agreed to supply the seed and fertilizer for the first three crops in order to ensure that the cooperative was ultimately viable. The Chimsambo-Mugurameno Cooperative Farm was a great success with a bumper crop of maize in its very first season. This has led to more farms with the same cooperative concept in the Chiawa Chiefdom.

People

LOCAL ECONOMY

The first two lodges in this itinerary contribute a portion of their nightly rate to the Luangwa Conservation & Community Fund, which is invested in programs focusing on community welfare, education and conservation. On a yearly basis they raise close to USD $40,000 and the funds are distributed to three organisations: Project Luangwa, Chipembele Wildlife Education Trust and Conservation South Luangwa.

Project Luangwa: Its aim is to help local communities improve their long-term economic prospects, whilst avoiding a negative impact on the environment and wildlife. They do this by improving educational standards in marginalised communities through supporting schools and deepening educational impact. They also help to empower young adults through Youth Clubs, and assist girls with their menstrual hygiene programme. By providing Eco-Stoves they help, primarily women, to reduce deforestation and respiratory health problems.

Chipembele Wildlife Education Trust: Chipembele originated in 1998 as Steve and Anna Tolan’s lifetime dream of establishing a conservation education program for local children. They built an education center not far from Kafunta River Lodge and officially founded CWET in 2001. Over the past 20 years the project has grown to encompass a wide range of conservation and community projects reaching an extensive audience and gaining international recognition.
The goal is to encourage young people to be active conservationists and empower them to make the changes that are necessary to sustain livelihoods, conserve wildlife and protect the natural environment long into the future.

Conservation South Luangwa: Founded in 2003 as a small grass roots organisation it has grown into an internationally recognised and award-winning conservation organisation. Employing over 80 full time staff of whom 99% are Zambian, the hallmark of CSL’s success is Zambia-led conservation through employment, training and empowerment of communities.

EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY

At Baines' River Camp, the final lodge in the itinerary, more than 90% of the team originate from the greater Chiawa community, which includes the local villages of around 17,000 people.