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14 APRIL, 2023
Kagem renews Zambian Carnivore Programme partnership for 5 years
LUFWANYAMA, ZAMBIA – Kagem Mining is proud to announce that it has renewed its partnership with the Zambian Carnivore Programme (ZCP) for a further five years. This new round of USD 250,000 funding – USD 50,000 per year – underscores the commitment of Kagem and its parent company, Gemfields, to supporting the wildlife-based economy and conservation efforts in Zambia, which is the host country of the Lufwanyama-based mine.
Kagem is thought to be the world’s single largest-producing emerald mine, and it has been the origin of some of the most extraordinary emeralds the world has ever seen. By extending its support for the ZCP, Kagem is honouring its guiding mission that coloured gemstones should bring tangible benefit to their countries of origin, such as supporting the livelihoods of local people and protecting native habitats in the areas close to its mines.
This new chapter follows on from Kagem’s previous three-year commitment to the project, which saw USD 150,000 spent between 2018 and 2020. Much of this went towards supporting ZCP’s field teams and operations in addressing threats to Zambia’s large carnivores and ecosystems foundational to the country’s wildlife economies.
ZCP has its headquarters in South Luangwa, designated a Key Biodiversity Area, and works across Zambia in six other national parks and eight Game Management Areas (GMAs). It is one of Africa’s largest and longest-running carnivore conservation projects, which studies large carnivores and addresses threats to them and their ecosystems to assist in their continued survival – this is vital for Zambia’s economy, in terms of tourism and jobs. The initiative is a collaboration with the Zambia Department of National Parks and Wildlife, and over two dozen local and international collaborating partner organizations, and was featured in the BBC’s Dynasties II series, narrated by Sir David Attenborough.
In the words of the CEO of Zambian Carnivore Programme, Matt Becker: “Receiving five years of support from Kagem is invaluable in enabling us to focus on achieving the diverse and ambitious work required to meet our conservation objectives. Collectively, this long-term collaboration and Kagem’s support helps ensure people benefit from conservation.”
It is hoped that Kagem’s fresh commitment of USD 250,000 in funding over the next five years will enable more of the same good work to continue – with the key aims of supporting sustainable economic development through wildlife tourism; achieving gender balance in the industry by attracting more women into conservation, a traditionally male-dominated world; and, of course, safeguarding biodiversity in this wildlife-rich part of the world.
In this round of funding, there will be specific support for the ZCP’s Women in Wildlife Conservation Training Programme – which has been at the forefront of empowering women and encouraging them to take up jobs in conservation. Thanks to its efforts to date, female ecologists and senior managers now outnumber male ones at ZCP. The funds from Kagem will also be spent, as before, on supporting monitoring and protection efforts of large carnivores, and on covering the ZCP’s operational and administrative costs and database management team.
Coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic – with all the economic, social and environmental challenges experienced over the past three years – securing the wildlife tourism industry, of which carnivores are a key draw, as a source of stable income and employment in Zambia is more important than ever, according to Edward Johnson, Gemfields’ Corporate Responsibility Director.
“The wildlife economy has proven itself resilient and capable of allowing people to make a living, even in turbulent economic times. This, along with the moral prerogative to protect amazing wildlife species and preserve biodiversity in this Key Biodiversity Area, make the ZCP a project very worthy of our support. We are proud to renew our partnership with ZCP and commend them on their excellent work to date, especially in attracting more women into wildlife conservation,” he said.
There are challenges ahead, but the outlook is bright for the Zambian wildlife economy, according to ZCP CEO Matt Becker: “Local conservation leaders – particularly women – are leading the way, and Zambia continues to be a model of field-based conservation work. Our collaborative conservation work in Zambia is long-term; there are few ’quick fixes’ and we are not interested in doing anything that is not sustainable.” Kagem looks forward to following the progress of these valued efforts.-Ends-
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