Nsumbu National Park, sitting on the north-eastern edge of Zambia, is where land and water weave together into one of Africa’s most unique conservation stories. Stretching over 100 square kilometers of protected lake waters along Lake Tanganyika, the park is home to one of the richest freshwater ecosystems on Earth.
For Zanne Labuschagne, Project Manager at the Nsumbu Tanganyika Conservation Programme (NTCP), this combination of land, lake, and life makes Nsumbu unlike anywhere else.
“Nsumbu National Park is a very special place,” she says. “Lake Tanganyika has incredible biodiversityalmost all the cichlid fish here are found nowhere else. Beyond that, the park holds rivers, wetlands, and even the largest remaining patches of Itigi-Sumbu thickets, a rare ecosystem that has already lost over 60% of its global coverage in the last 50 years.”
It is this variety forests, rivers, wetlands, thickets, and lake that makes Nsumbu a true biodiversity haven.
Conservation with Communities at the Centre
The NTCP’s approach is not only about saving species, it’s about working with people. In 2020, the programme launched Sufina (short for Sungeni Filengwa Na Lesa, meaning “Keep God’s Creations”), a conservation education initiative tailored to the local environment.
“We started with five schools,” explains Moses Mwamba, NTCP’s Community Conservation Educator. “By 2021, the curriculum was officially approved, and today we are in 22 schools.”
Through Chongololo Clubs, students now learn practical conservation skills like composting, pest management, and tree planting. “Every school received 25 trees to plant,” Moses adds. “It’s small-scale but deliberate, and it gives young people ownership over conservation.”
Finding Balance with Wildlife
For many communities around Nsumbu, living alongside wildlife is both a blessing and a challenge. Hippos and crocodiles often damage fields, creating tension between conservation and livelihoods.
“Our mission is to conserve landscapes and enrich lives,” says Thandiwe Mweetwa, NTCP’s Integrated Landscape and Custodianship Manager. “One of our recent projects in Munjela was building a four-kilometer solar-powered fence to keep hippos out of people’s fields. It’s the first time we’ve tried this design here, and it has shown real promise.”
The broader goal, Thandiwe notes, is to make conservation economically valuable for communities, ensuring that the benefits outweigh the costs of living with wildlife.
The Lions Return
One of the park’s proudest milestones came in September 2024, when lions were reintroduced to Nsumbu after nearly a decade of absence. Three lions, two females from one pride and a male from another were brought in from North Luangwa.
“They were named by local stakeholders and schoolchildren in the Sufina programme,” Thandiwe recalls. “For the Nsama Chiefdom, which is historically known as the Lion Clan, this reintroduction is deeply symbolic.”
After a period of acclimatization, the lions were released into the wild, where they are now being closely monitored by a dedicated team. Their return signals not just ecological recovery, but also cultural renewal.
Global Recognition
In 2024, Nsumbu earned global recognition when it became only the second park in Zambia to be awarded the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Green List status. Announced at COP16 in Colombia, the award highlights the park’s adherence to the highest standards of conservation practice.
Looking Ahead
With wildlife numbers on the rise, children learning the value of conservation, and communities working hand-in-hand with park managers, Nsumbu National Park stands as proof that conservation and development can move together.
As Zanne puts it:
“To watch elephants drink from Lake Tanganyika, against a backdrop of beaches, forests, and cliffs, is to witness something rare. There’s so much life here—and even more waiting to be discovered.”
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