Mr. Chagunda (right) holding a meeting with secondary school pupils at Munali High Secondary School_Zambia

Kasungu Wildlife Reserve (KWR) covers a total land area of 2,316 km2 and 63% of the total land area is in Malawi while 37% is in Zambia. The wildlife reserve is rich in fauna and flora and it also harbours some of the charismatic species of wildlife such as cheetahs and elephants. And from 2004-2005 with funding from Rufford Small Grants Foundation, the Community-Based Natural Resources Management Conservation Society of Malawi (CBNRMCSM) managed to implement effective environmental education and conservation programmes on the Malawian side of the Kasungu Wildlife Reserve (KWR) on protection of threatened cheetahs and other wildlife. Because of the introduction of effective management and conservation interventions, cases of poaching and environmental degradation on the Malawian side of KWR have completely ceased. However, these problems are currently being experienced on the Zambian side of the KWR. The environmental and wildlife problems that are being experienced range from deforestation, bushfires, habitat encroachment, poaching and production of charcoal in the reserve. These problems still threaten the survival of unique fauna and flora in KWR.

Project team holding interactive meeting with local communities and local stakeholders in the project area

It is against this background that CBNRMCSM intends to scale up/out same activities that were implemented on the Malawian side of KWR in order to address these environmental and wildlife problems that are being experienced on the Zambian side of KWR. Activities planned include organising and conducting environmental education and awareness campaigns, and involving local communities and stakeholders in the implementation of these activities as one way of empowering them to take active role in management and conservation of nature in the area.