Zambia, home to some of Africa’s most spectacular biodiversity, is taking significant steps to better integrate its conservation assets into national development planning.
With 20 national parks and 36 game management areas (GMAs) covering 30% of the country’s land area, Zambia’s natural heritage supports not only critical ecosystems but also food security, climate resilience, and rural livelihoods.
However, the value of these protected areas has often been undervalued in national accounting systems due to data gaps. To address this, Zambia is updating its Wildlife and Protected Areas Accounts (WPAA) under the Natural Capital Accounting (NCA) programme, supported by the World Bank’s Global Program for Sustainability (GPS) and in collaboration with the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment (MGEE), the Zambia Statistics Agency (ZamStats), and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW).
Bridging the Data Gap for Conservation and Development
The updated WPAA seeks to provide systematic, data-driven insights into the economic contributions and sustainability of Zambia’s protected areas. By consolidating data on biodiversity trends, wildlife populations, and habitat conditions, the accounts will offer policymakers a clearer picture of how conservation efforts bolster the national economy.
Technical support from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has been instrumental in strengthening data collection on wildlife and ecosystems. WWF’s efforts are also helping to leverage conservation data to attract climate finance and support sustainable land-use practices, ensuring protected areas deliver broader socio-economic benefits.
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Unlocking the Full Potential of Protected Areas
Tourism is a major economic driver, contributing over 7% of GDP. Parks like South Luangwa, Kafue, and Lower Zambezi attract thousands of visitors annually, generating millions in tourism revenue. However, fragmented data on visitor trends and spending has hindered informed policymaking.
The updated WPAA will fill these gaps by tracking:
• Tourism revenue flows and private sector investments
• Employment linkages in communities adjacent to parks
• Wildlife population trends for iconic species such as elephants, leopards, and wild dogs
• Land-use changes and habitat loss
• Impacts of poaching and illegal wildlife trade
By capturing these insights, Zambia can strengthen conservation planning, allocate resources more effectively, and reinforce anti-poaching measures.
Empowering Communities and Supporting Climate Action
More than 1.5 million Zambians live in or around GMAs, relying on wildlife-based income and sustainable resource use. The WPAA will help document how much revenue from protected areas flows back into community development, guiding policies that promote equitable benefit-sharing and inclusive growth.
Also read: Kenya’s Conservation Success: Rhino and Elephant Populations Thrive
Furthermore, by recognising the carbon sequestration potential of Zambia’s forests and wetlands, the updated accounts will enhance the country’s climate resilience strategies and support its nationally determined contributions (NDCs)under the Paris Agreement.
The WPAA will also inform flagship programmes such as the GREAT Transformational Development Program (GREAT TDP), which focuses on landscape-level conservation, sustainable land-use planning, and green economic diversification.
A Clear Path Forward for Sustainable Growth
As Zambia moves forward with its Natural Capital Accounting framework, the updated Wildlife and Protected Areas Accounts will serve as a cornerstone for integrating conservation into mainstream economic planning. Finalisation of the WPAA is expected later in 2025, accompanied by technical training sessions and integration into national decision-making platforms.
Through robust partnerships with WWF, the World Bank, and national institutions, Zambia is positioning itself as a regional leader in sustainable environmental governance. By recognising wildlife and ecosystems as core economic assets, Zambia is demonstrating that conservation and economic growth can, and must, go hand in hand.
