The protected conservation areas in the Republic of Zambia include a variety of conservation areas that are critical for preserving the country's unique wildlife and natural resources.

Types of areas protected by legislation

The Wildlife Act The overarching legislation covering wildlife conservation is the Zambia Wildlife Act 2015. This provides for the protection of animals in protected area but the Minister may also declare certain animals (e.g. rhinoceros) to be protected everywhere in the country, regardless of area.

Hunting of 'game or protected' animals even in unprotected areas ('open' areas) requires a licence, and trapping is generally banned everywhere. Game animals are listed in the act.

The two most important, both managed by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife under the Wildlife Act are:

national parks, IUCN Category II, with the strongest protection including no hunting, fishing or resource gathering, and no settlements, and entry only by payment of entry fees or other authorisation. game management areas, IUCN Category VI, with hunting, fishing and resource gathering subject to regulation, and settlements permitted but generally with some regulation, sometimes by traditional rulers.

In some cases the management is in partnership with private companies and foundations, or with other public entities such as Community Resource Boards or local chieftanships, or international organizations. The effectiveness of wildlife protection in a GMA therefore depends on the community.

Other types of conservation areas in Zambia under the Wildlife Act are:

bird or wildlife sanctuary private wildlife estate, which may be called wildlife or nature parks/reserves, generally set up with DNPW partenrship or agreement Community Partnership Park, set up with community boards and/or in partnership with traditional rulers. Protected areas in Zambia total 311,773 km2, or 38% of the country's land area. Several of the country's protected areas have been internationally designated as World Heritage Sites or biosphere reserves by UNESCO.

Other legislation and types of areas There is other legislation in Zambia which may provide a measure of protection over some other areas, managed by other government departments:

The Forests Act 2015 administered by the Department of Forestry, now part of the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment, provides for Forest reserves with these sub-categories of protected forest: National forests Local forests Community forests, set up with participation of community boards and/or traditional rulers Botanical Reserves Joint Forest Management Areas. The Fisheries Act No. 22 of 2011 administered by the Department of Fisheries, part of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, regulates fishing especially by commercial fisheries. The National Heritage Conservation Commission Act 1989 designates natural monuments (IUCN Category III) as areas of special scenic, geological, ecological or scientific interest, protected under the Act. They are administered as National Monuments by the National Heritage Conservation Commission (NHCC).

Protected areas under the Forests and Fisheries Acts are not listed in this article.

Total wildlife, forest and natural monuments protected areas The United Nations Environment Programme's World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) gives the following 2026 data for Zambia's areas protected under the Wildlife, Forestry and NHCC Acts:

Number of protected sites: 631 Total protected area: 309,922 km2 (41.27% coverage) National Parks: 20 Game Management Areas: 36 Wildlife Sanctuaries: 2 Bird Sanctuaries: 2 Forest Reserves: 555 Natural Monuments: 16

National parks (IUCN category II)

Zambia's 20 national parks are IUCN category II. Two of them are on the IUCN Green list as shown in the table.

Lodges in the table include luxury camps (tented lodges) and chalets, of international standard. NameProv.Area km22023 visitorsLodges etc.Green listNotesBlue Lagoon NPC450––Kafue lechwe herds and good birdlife, on Kafue Flats.Isangano NPN840––In Bangweulu wetlands, degraded, illegal settlements, but good birdlife.Kafue NP C,S,NW22,40016,72220Huge park with much wildlife; being upgraded in partnership with African ParksKasanka NPC39011122Partnership with Kasanka Trust LtdLavushi Manda NPN1500––Few game animals, good birdlife; camping, hiking and kayaking possibleLiuwa Plain NPW36606591Partnership with African Parks, restocked, with a new lodge and improved accessLochinvar NPS4102827–Edge of Kafue Flats. Self-camping only. Good birdlife. Kafue Lechwe herds.Lower Zambezi NPLus4092973518Scenic, remote and unspoiled but with good facilitiesLuambe NPE254452In the Luangwa Valley, similar wildlife to South LuangwaLukusuzi NPE2720176–No facilities, wildlife status not known, transfrontier conservation agreement with Malawi's Kasungu NPLusaka NPLus5013,047–Small fenced city-adjacent park with elephant orphanage; self-camping site.Lusenga Plain NPLua880––Recently revived but self-camping onlyMosi-oa-Tunya NPS6613,618–Zambia's Victoria Falls park at Livingstone, with separate wildlife park and Falls area.Mweru Wantipa NPN3134––No facilities, neglected, wildlife status not known, good birdlifeNorth Luangwa NPM463622186YesPartnership with Frankfurt Zoological SocietyNsumbu NPN206345221YesAlso called Sumbu, on Lake Tanganyika; recently revived in partnership with Frankfurt Zoological SocietyNyika NP M80––No facilities, neglected, wildlife status not known, Nyika plateau scenerySioma Ngwezi NPW5276216–Elephant and wildebeest migration route.South Luangwa NPE,M905028,30228Zambia's premier wildlife park, famous for walking safaris and luxury lodgesWest Lunga NPNW1684118–Remote forested park with depleted wildlife. Partnership between Community and DNPW. Provinces: C Central, E Eastern, Lus Lusaka, Lua Luapula, M Muchinga, N Northern, NW Northwestern, S Southern, W Western.

Additional notes

Administration The national parks are administered by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife, part of the Ministry of Tourism. Zambia's economic and financial downturn in the 1980s resulted in a lack of funds for conservation management and anti-poaching measures, as well as for Park infrastructure and staff. The austerity and privatisation era of the 1990s did not yield quick results, but there has been improvement in the economy and recovery in the tourism sector since. The goals laid out in the 2018–2038 Tourism Master Plan are to increase tourism's contribution to Zambia's economy, targeting growth in revenue from US$562.9 million to US$3.8 billion, and growth in employment, by 2038. The vision is for Zambia to be among Africa's top holiday destinations and a regional conference hub, with the National Parks as the key drawcard.

Protection of national parks and wildlife is government policy in Zambia. Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in the development of visitor facilities in national parks is seen as a preferred option where reliable partners can be found, and community engagement is now seen as a key to reducing poaching and encroachment by illegal settlement and subsistence farming, hunting and fishing in national parks. Community engagement includes education of the public, community sensitisation to aspects of wildlife ecology to reduce wildlife-human conflicts, given that elephant, lion, hippotamus, crocodile and buffalo populations in particular can pose a threat to villagers and their crops. Examples of these aspects are included in the Nsumbu and Isangano articles in particular.

Status of the National Parks Of 20 parks, five have never had management or facilities and have little wildlife apart from birds: Isangano, Lavushi Manda, Lusenga Plain, West Lunga, and Mweru Wantipa. They have scope for improvement to wildlife numbers and facilities, with the possible exception of Isangano due to its intractable human encroachment problem.

Four have substantial wildlife and are being opened up with new lodges: North Luangwa, Luambe, Liuwa Plain and Sioma Ngwezi. Nsumbu in 2026 showed a recovery in wildlife numbers, and the Kasaba Bay resort in that park is awaiting redevelopment to restore the Park to its former glory. These five have the potential to join South Luangwa, Lower Zambezi, Kafue and Kasanka as the best-managed and equipped parks.

Two small parks, Blue Lagoon and Lochinvar, are in need of improved management and accommodation facilities to restore them to previous standard.

Two parks are small fenced areas adjacent to cities, popular for day trip outings, and with scope for improved wildlife resources: Lusaka and Mosi-oa-Tunya.

Lukusuzi and Nyika are remote and undeveloped with wildlife status not clear. Both have transfrontier agreements with larger, more developed Malawian national parks, Kasungu and Nyika (Malawi) and their future may depend on joint conservation and ease of access to the Malawian Parks' facilities.

Private wildlife estate

Munyamadzi Game Reserve—privately owned game reserve in the Lower Luangwa Valley

Game Management Areas (GMAs) – IUCN IV GMAs are IUCN Category VI. listed by province — some are shared, as noted. The standard of management of land use and enforcement of conservation regulations is highly variable. Those with strong Community Resource Boards including traditional rulers appear to do well, and the involvement of an international conservation organisation also helps. Bangweulu GMA is a stand-out in this regard.

Central Province

Chisomo GMA — 3,390 km2 Kafinda GMA — 3,860 km2 Luano GMA — 8,930 km2 (shared with Central Province) Lunga Luswishi GMA — 13,340 km2 (shared with North-Western and Copperbelt provinces) Mumbwa GMA — 3,600 km2

Copperbelt Province

Lunga Luswishi GMA — 13,340 km2 (shared with North-Western and Central provinces) Machiya Fungulwa GMA — 1,530 km2

Eastern Province

Lumimba GMA — 4,500 km2 Lupande GMA — 4,840 km2 Sandwe GMA — 1,530 km2 West Petauke GMA — 4,140 km2

Luapula Province

Bangweulu GMA — 6,470 km2 (shared with Muchinga Province) Kalasa Mukoso GMA — 675 km2 Mansa GMA — 2,070 km2

Lusaka Province

Chiawa GMA — 2,344 km2 Luano GMA — 8,930 km2 (shared with Central Province) Rufunsa GMA — 3,170 km2

Muchinga Province

Bangweulu GMA — 6,470 km2 (shared with Luapula Province) Mukungule GMA — 1,900 km2 Munyamadzi GMA — 3,300 km2

Northern Province

Chambeshi GMA — 620 km2 Inangu GMA — 43 km2 Kaputa GMA — 3,600 km2 Luwingu GMA — 1,090 km2 Tondwa GMA — 540 km2

North-Western Province

Chibwika Ntambu GMA — 1,550 km2 Chizera GMA — 2,280 km2 Kasonso Busanga GMA — 7,780 km2 Lukwakwa GMA — 2,540 km2 Lunga Luswishi GMA — 13,340 km2 (shared with Copperbelt and Central provinces) Musele Matebo GMA — 3,700 km2

Southern Province

Bilili Springs GMA — 3,080 km2 Kafue Flats GMA — 5,175 km2 (shared with Central Province) Namwala GMA — 3,420 km2 Nkala GMA — 194 km2 Sichifulo GMA — 3,600 km2

Western Province

Kasonso Busanga GMA — 7,780 km2   Mufunta GMA — 5,104 km2 Mulobezi GMA — 3,430 km2 Sichifulo GMA — 3,600 km2 †* West Zambezi GMA — 38,070 km2

Community Partnership Parks Chilongozi Community Resource Board Wildlife Reserve Chitambo Community Resource Board Wildlife Reserve Kafue Flats Community Resource Board Wildlife Reserve Kasanka Trust Community Resource Board Wildlife Reserve West Lunga National Park Community Resource Board Wildlife Reserve

Bird Sanctuary Chembe Bird Sanctuary, Kalulushi, Copperbelt Province

International designations

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

UNEP administers the World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) which maintains reports and databases on conservation worldwide. It also publishes the https://www.protectedplanet.net/ website and evaluates effectiveness of conservation management for particular sites. The Zambia page has 23 sites which have been evaluated.