Goals:

• 1500 farmers  / c. 6000 people engaged
• 7500 beehives
• 750 hectares of forest regenerating

Why are we working here?

The communities living within the Mukungule Game Management Area (GMA) within Mukungule Chiefdom, Muchinga Province, primarily depend on low input agriculture, with chitemene or slash-and-burn agriculture being typical. With the current population density increasing rapidly, the pressure on land is unsustainable. Human population is growing at an estimated 3.2% annually, and around 10% of the natural land is converted into agricultural land per annum. A 2017 census shows that approximately 3,187 households (or 20,200 people) currently live in Mukungule GMA, spread across 10 different village action groups (VAGs).
A further key threat are the man-made (late) fires that inhibit regrowth and forest regeneration. These also have a severe effect on wildlife and wetlands (dambos) in terms of biodiversity, carbon storage and water retention capacity.
A newer threat is unsustainable charcoal production, which is picking up especially in areas close to Mpika town.

What will the project do?

Under the scope of the USAID-funded (HEARTH) Global Development Alliance (GDA) led by Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS), WeForest will scale up beekeeping as a conservation-compatible livelihood, thereby incentivizing local communities to restore degraded forest through beekeeping. It will also support associated sustainable forest management for a sustainable and long-lasting impact, with increases in direct and indirect benefits for the communities within the GMA through employment, training and better income through honey sales. The beekeeping model is to be developed based on market diagnosis.