Zambia - Atlas of our Changing Environment

Wildlife

Approximately 225,000 sq kilometres, that is 30 per cent of the total land cover in Zambia have been designated as protected areas. This is one of the largest amounts of protected land in Southern Africa. National Parks make up 8 per cent of the country’s land cover and Game Management Areas (GMAs) make up 22 per cent (MTENR, 2006). The country has 20 national parks and 34 GMAs as shown in Figure 2.11. The GMAs serve as buffer zones around the National Parks and are host to 224 known mammalian species of which about 12 per cent are endangered (ECZ, 2008).

Expanding human settlements, cultivation, livestock grazing and deforestation, as well as road construction and mining have resulted in the fragmentation of ecosystems and obstruct wildlife migratory routes to breeding, watering and feeding grounds (ECZ, 2008).

TANZANIA

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

MALAWI

ANGOLA

MOZAMBIQUE

ZIMBABWE

NAMIBIA

Game management areas National parks

BOTSWANA

Figure 2.11 National parks and GMAs Environmental Council of Zambia, 2008

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ZAMBIA - ATLAS OF OUR CHANGING ENVIRONMENT