Conservation Lower Zambezi Charity

Conservation Lower Zambezi is committed to the conservation and sustainable use of the local wildlife and natural resources of the Lower Zambezi through environmental protection, education and supporting local community development.

Conservation Lower Zambezi (CLZ) is a Zambian non-governmental organisation that helps protect the environment of Lower Zambezi. CLZ operates under a memorandum of understanding with the Zambia Wildlife Authorities (ZAWA) and is governed by a constitution and an annually elected Board.

In the 1990’s, increased poaching became a significant problem in the Lower Zambezi. This prompted concerned local safari operators and other stakeholders to recognise the need for organised support for ZAWA wildlife protection operations in the Lower Zambezi area. CLZ was formed in 1995 to assist ZAWA (then known as National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (NPWS)) and the community with conservation efforts.

CLZ and ZAWA
CLZ works closely with ZAWA to ensure the protection of Zambian wildlife in Lower Zambezi. ZAWA organises anti-poaching teams to patrol the Lower Zambezi national park and surrounding game management areas in order to enforce domestic wildlife protection legislation. CLZ provides logistical support to ZAWA anti poaching units which includes fuel, transport, some training, patrol equipment, communications and the running and maintenance of the patrol plane.

One of CLZ’s main activities includes the support of village scouts with law enforcement activities. Currently CLZ supports around nine patrol team deployments per month in the Chiawa game management areas and Lower Zambezi national park, providing patrol rations, uniforms, training, deployments, GPS tracking devices and incentives. The patrol teams play a vital role in park and game management protection.

ZAWA’s Lower Zambezi management unit consists of a warden, operations rangers and wildlife Police officers. This team is responsible for the administration and protection of Lower Zambezi national park and surrounding game management areas. The area covers more than 12,000 square miles including the Chiawa game management area to the West, the Rufunsa game management area to the East and the Luano game management area to the North.

CLZ is dedicated to supporting ZAWA, especially focusing on additional resources the Authority often needs in order to operate effectively. ZAWA's Lower Zambezi management unit currently totals 112 officers including the administrative staff. CLZ is able to help with logistics to supplement the management unit's one vehicle. The ZAWA Area Warden for Lower Zambezi has the responsibility of protecting the wildlife, the habitat and the communities in the whole area. CLZ helps ZAWA achieve this.

Conservation Lower Zambezi Education and the Community
As well as providing logistical support to ZAWA, CLZ is also involved in an environmental education program for the surrounding community. This program is aimed at decreasing illegal use of the area’s natural resources in the long term and teaching children the value of their local wildlife. One of the main objectives of CLZ is to promote, foster and maintain interest in the protection of wildlife. In order to do this, CLZ works closely with the local community in the surrounding area, including 35 target Basic Schools and the District Education Board Secretary. The CLZ mobile advisory unit travels around Chiawa, Chongwe, Rufunsa and Luangwa areas, making contact with a large number of local children. CLZ is aware that these children may have never seen a hippo, a crocodile or even an elephant, unless it is raiding their crops and putting them in dangerous situations. Once a month during dry season and term time CLZ hosts 24 local children and 4 teachers at their facilities, taking them to the environmental education centre and making use of the hands-on interpretive library. The visits include game drives and boat trips to encourage children to learn about their unique national heritage.

One of the biggest issues that CLZ has to tackle is the human-wildlife conflict. The challenge is that local people find it difficult to understand why they should protect animals that regularly destroy their crops and can be a very real danger. As subsistence farmers in poor rural communities struggling to get by on a daily basis, wildlife protection can be a low priority. Elephants, hippos, buffaloes and even crocodiles have all been known to kill local villagers who are defenceless against them.

CLZ works closely with the community to help reduce human-wildlife conflict by promoting conflict mitigating activities such as chilli fencing and elephant behaviour workshops.

CLZ provides a vital link between the community, tourism and conservation in the Lower Zambezi management area. The area’s Royal Highness Chieftainess Chiyaba is a board member of CLZ and is consulted for her expertise on local matters. CLZ also works with organisations such as Explore Africa who are encouraging cooperative enterprises in the Chiawa game management area e.g. tailoring cooperatives, vegetable farming cooperatives and fish farmers to try and increase the markets available to these cooperatives and therefore increase community involvement in the tourism industry. CLZ recommends a visit to Chiawa Cultural Village for anyone visiting the area.

Conservation Lower Zambezi Facilities
Accommodation at CLZ includes four en-suite tents, three en-suite rooms and four blocks of dorms which can occupy 24 children at a time. The facilities include a dining area, a fully equipped kitchen and ablution facilities. CLZ has an environmental education centre which includes a classroom and a library.

How you can help
CLZ is a non-profit organisation and is only able to continue protecting the Lower Zambezi wildlife through support from individuals and businesses who donate their time, money, goods and services. Visit www.conservationlowerzambezi.org for more details on how you can help. Every donation, big or small, is appreciated and helps to keep CLZ running.

Membership

As a member of CLZ you can:

• Make use of the incredible camp facilities for a small fee on a self-catering basis. CLZ has 4 en-suite safari tents overlooking the Zambezi with a large chitenge area and kitchen which can be used by visitors
• Receive regular updates and newsletters from CLZ reporting on its progress and current projects.
• Vote at the Annual General Meeting
• Directly contribute to protecting the environment of the Lower Zambezi.

Corporate members can also benefit from recognition on the CLZ website or on  the CLZ facebook page as well as other regular marketing materials. CLZ membership year runs from 1st January to 1st January of the next year.

• Platinum and Gold — Further discretionary levels of increased support to CLZ which will be recognised according to degree of support on CLZ marketing materials, including specifically on the CLZ website and at fundraisers. Platinum, Gold and Silver members may also use the CLZ logo and their degree of support on their own websites.
• Silver — Minimum membership required for corporate bodies with active commercial interest and located in Lower Zambezi (corporate stakeholders).
• Stakeholder — Applies to corporate bodies without a commercial interest in Lower Zambezi.
• Family — Two adults and two children.
• Individual — If the individual is associated with a corporate stakeholder, the relevant corporate stakeholder must hold a valid membership before an individual membership can be granted.