At COP15 in Montreal, Canada, the IUCN announced that North Luangwa National Park is the first Park in Zambia to be part of its Green List, which recognizes protected areas that have been fairly governed, effectively managed and that respect local communities through fair and meaningful engagement.
North Luangwa National Park awarded for conservation excellence
With around 261,766 officially recognized protected areas worldwide, the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Green List provides an important global benchmark for how these areas meet the environmental challenges of the 21st century and the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Currently, there are 61 protected areas on the Green List with 16 new ones added during COP15 UN Biodiversity Conference that took place from 7-19 December 2022 in Montreal, Canada, including North Luangwa National Park in Zambia. Each site was chosen by their countries as the best examples of areas that respect local communities through fair and meaningful engagement of rights-holders and stakeholders with plans that identify the need to secure important values in the area, that are effectively managed, can showcase successful conservation results for people and nature and clearly contribute to overcoming global challenges such as climate change.
The Green List accreditation brings to light North Luangwa’s well-established governance, planning, and management. As well as its proven successful conservation outcomes, such as those relating to black rhino protection. This gives it an extra level of recognition.
As stated by Ed Sayer, North Luangwa Conservation Project Leader, “We are really pleased to have completed the Green Listing process and hope that this status will offer our funders a level of assurance of our fair and effective conservation measures and that this accreditation will result in reduced reporting to donors as well as increased opportunities to access funding over longer periods of time.”
Every five years North Luangwa National Park will need to re-submit its Green List application in order to continue being on the list. This re-evaluation ensures that each protected area on the list continues to demonstrate and maintain performance and deliver real nature conservation results.
Currently, five other protected areas in Zambia are working towards Green List accreditation, including FZS-supported Nsumbu National Park in northern Zambia.
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