A (Temporary) Win for Wildlife

Temporary victory for Kasanka National Park as the Zambian High Court issues injunction stopping Lake Agro Industries and Gulf Adventures activities in the area.

Lusaka, January 27, 2022: The Mapepala and Nabowa Community Forest Management Groups (CFMG) together with Kasanka Trust Limited, which co-manages the operations of Kasanka National Park in Chitambo District with Department of National Parks and Wildlife, have secured a partial victory this week. This comes as the Zambian High Court in Lusaka ruled that two companies – Lake Agro Industries and Gulf Adventures Limited – halt with immediate effect all destruction of forests, cultivation of land and any other development activities in and around the National Park and Kafinda Game Management Area (GMA).

The ruling by High Court Judge Mr. Justice Charles Kafunda, delivered on the 25th of January 2022, temporarily puts a stop to the illegal cutting of trees, agricultural and other activities within the Kafinda GMA by the two companies. It also prevents the abstraction of water from the Luwombwa River beyond limits prescribed in the water permit granted by WARMA, which has since expired. Kasanka Trust and the CFMGs have been, for months, embroiled in litigation with the two companies – challenging the legality of their activities and seeking to put a stop to them.

Kasanka National Park is home to the world’s largest mammal migration and attracts tourists from across Zambia and the rest of the world each year to view the spectacle. Commercial activities in the surrounding areas of the Park have, however, resulted in environmental degradation. This has a long-term negative effect on the area’s ecosystem and, significantly, on the communities that depend on the natural resources for survival.

James Mwanza, General Manager of Kasanka Trust said the High Court ruling was cause for celebration. “For too long, some of Zambia’s most important habitats, including Kasanka have been threatened by the illegal activities of private companies with no consideration of the adverse effect this has had on local communities which depend on the land. The Court’s ruling strengthens our continued efforts to protect the environment,” said Mr Mwanza.

Kasanka National Park already receives the highest level of protection in Zambia – because of the unique flora and fauna that it supports – but critical to the whole ecosystem is the habitat immediately surrounding that park, which is vital to the survival of both wildlife and local communities.

Kasanka Trust has worked with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife since 2019 on behalf of wildlife and local communities to put a stop to the unlawful activities of Tanzania-based Lake Agro Industries and Gulf Adventures, which has seen an estimated 1,200 hectares of land illegally cleared from Kafinda GMA.

While the fight to #savekasanka is far from over, the court injunction will, for the time being, put on hold the continued deforestation of protected land and abstraction of water from the rivers that provide it with life, ensuring its preservation until the case reaches its logical conclusion.

For more information about the case, click here: https://kasanka.com/news/reminder-to-save-kasanka-national-park/

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