OVERVIEW
To enhance biodiversity conservation and Wildlife management, the Project supports the Department of National Parks and Wildlife funding to address three broad areas of community management of wildlife: management of Protected Areas and support for National Protected Area Systems.
Under Community Management of Wildlife, the DNPW, with the support of ZIFLP, continued to promote practices that maximize opportunities for communities adjacent to the Lukusuzi and Luambe National Parks to participate in the management of wildlife resources and biodiversity conservation. The practices promoted under community management include the management of Human-Wildlife Conflicts to Mitigate the impacts of human-animal conflict as a key intervention area for the DNPW in wildlife management. The DNPW also supported the formation and strengthening of Community Resource Boards (CRBs) cognizant of the critical role Community Resources Boards play in the management of wildlife resources by conducting the election and capacity building for CRBs in line with the Wildlife Act.
Under the management of Protected Areas and support for National Protected Area Systems, the Project supports the DNPW in developing and implementing General Management Plans in the focus areas; in the protection and management of Protected Areas through demarcation, clearing and beaconing of Park boundaries to reduce encroachment, provision of patrol rations for the Wildlife Officers for conducting various protection activities resulting arrests and seizures illicit contraband. The project also supports the DNPW through institutional strengthening by providing support via the development of the park infrastructure to facilitate park management and eco-tourism i.e. Construction staff houses, Control Rooms and park entry gates, Watering Holes, Procurement of equipment such as tractors and toll grader for maintenance of the wildlife viewing loop roads in the Parks, upgrading of Loop Roads in the Lukusuzi and Luambe National Parks; procurement and installed Automated Meteorological Weather Stations; including capacity building of DNPW Staff and local communities and provision of assorted motorized transport for activity implementation