SIMALAHA COMMUNITY CONSERVANCY

Meaning ‘come together’, Simalaha is an apt name for the community conservancy inspired and driven by the Sesheke and Sekhute chiefdoms. Bordering the Zambezi River on the Zambezi-Chobe floodplain, Simalaha is where wildlife and people come together and co-exist under one sky as they once did many years ago.
The vision of the Sesheke and Sekhute chiefs to rehabilitate and conserve the region has become a reality through a partnership with Peace Parks Foundation. The development of this wildlife conservancy and the implementation of viable natural resource management have been key in uplifting local communities, creating income-generating opportunities through nature-based economies and tourism opportunities.
Simalaha forms part of the world’s largest trans-frontier conservation area, the Kavango Zambezi Transformation Conservancy Area (KAZA) that spans five countries and 520 000km² / 323 113mi². The conservancy is fundamental to re-establishing wildlife populations and their migration routes through KAZA.
Wildebeest, zebra, red lechwe, puku, hartebeest, impala, waterbuck, giraffe, buffalo, eland and sable have been re-introduced to the plains. More and more wildlife can start to traverse old migration paths safely and elephants have been seen walking their historical timelines. The days when the flood plains were teeming with wildlife, the forests thick and the people benefiting from this rich environment, are once more slowly being realised.
MORE INFO
LATEST NEWS
USD143M Funding for Zambezi Basin
The Zambezi Basin, which encompasses almost the whole country except for the northern half of the northern region, has received a major funding boost from Climate Investment Funds (CIF), which is co-ordinated by the African Development Bank and World Bank. [...]
Extra Flights for Lusaka-Livingstone Route
Travellers originating in South Africa will now have greater flexibility when it comes to visiting Victoria Falls. Proflight Zambia has announced that it will double the frequency on its Livingstone-Lusaka route from 1 April 2025 to twice-daily flights. This means [...]
Two New Eco Projects for the Kafue Flats
Two climate resilience and wildlife conservation projects have been announced for the Kafue Flats. Worth USD9-million in total, the goal is to safeguard this fragile ecosystem and bolster community resilience especially against future droughts and floods that will be worsened [...]
Will the Barotse Plains get World Heritage Site Status?
The Zambian government has formally submitted the Barotse Plains Cultural Landscape to UNESCO for consideration as a World Heritage Site, consolidating work done by the National Heritage Conservation Commission, Barotse Royal Establishment and Ministry of Tourism. A decision is expected [...]