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Lindsey, P.; Nyirenda, V.; Barnes, J.; Becker, M.; Tambling, C.; Taylor, A.; Watson, F.
Zambian game management areas - the reasons why they are not functioning as ecologically or economically productive buffer zones and what needs to change for them to fulfil that role
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Zambia has allocated an impressive proportion of its land surface to wildlife conservation. The protected area is comprised of 20 national parks (covering ~65,000 km2) and 36 game management areas (GMAs) (167,000 km2) and a variety of other protected area categories. Together these areas comprise ~40% of the nation's land area. Human settlement is generally not permitted in national parks and wildlife-use is limited to non-consumptive photo-tourism. In the GMAs, by contrast, human settlement is permitted and wildlife use is focused primarily on trophy hunting (mainly by foreign nationals) and hunting for meat by local and national residents. Despite their size and potential, the wildlife resources in many GMAs are in a state of steep decline and are not sufficiently productive in ecological, economic or social terms. In this study, by surveying stakeholders, reviewing available literature, and collating available data, we identify the drivers of poor GMA performance make recommendations for improvement, and suggest changes to legislation and policy necessary for this improvement to occur. We then use ecological and financial modelling to develop a proposed model for creating 'Community Wildlife Conservancies (CWC)' in GMAs or on un-gazetted customary lands (open areas). We believe that such a structure (and variants of it) has potential to significantly elevate the social, economic and ecological benefits of GMAs.

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