The Mwanachingwala Conservation Area (MCA) is made up of land that has been contributed by the local community of Chief Mwanachingwala and the private sector working in Mazabuka, Southern Province of Zambia that is part of the Kafue Flats wetlands.

MCA land totals about 47, 000 hectares with the major land contribution by the community of Chief Mwanachingwala.

The private sector in the MCA comprises of sugar plantations namely Zambia Sugar, Nanga Farms, Ceres Farm, Zambezi Ranching & Cropping and Pinkney & Bignell Farms.

 The partners established the MCA in order to achieve it’s goals, which are beneficial for the sugar plantations, the local community as well as the environment.  MCA goals are:

Ø      Rehabilitation and wise use of the MCA wetland including
      re-establishment of indigenous flora & fauna.

Ø      Maintenance of a functioning and healthy wetland, which will provide sufficient water quality and volume for eco system and local partners to sustainably utilize for their needs.

Ø      MCA should be self-sustainable both financially and managerially.

Ø      Operating profit from the MCA will be used for the benefit of the MCA and improving living conditions of the people of Chief Mwanachingwala.

MCA Community Benefits

Community benefits from the MCA when fully established will include improved rangeland for their cattle. This is very important for the local people who traditionally are cattle herders. The MCA will also provide operational dips where domestic animals of the local community will be dipped thereby minimise animal diseases. The few dips available in the community are not operating due to non-availability of chemicals and lack of maintenance.

The community will benefit in their farming activities, by accessing discharge waters from the sugar plantations. The discharge water will be channelled to gardens of the local community. The local community can use this nutrient rich discharge to improve yields while saving on purchase of fertilisers and costs of watering gardens. The local community can also farm throughout the year rather than depend largely on rain fed yields.

Fishing will also be improved because of reduced pollution in the river. The sugar plantations will reuse effluent discharge channelling it back to their plantations or to the local communities for use in their gardens. As such the water quality will be improved making the breeding conditions for fish more conducive in the Kafue Flats.

The MCA intends to attract tourist activities through game watching, bird watching, artisanal fishing and Houseboat rides on the Kafue River. Perhaps the most novel benefit for the Mwanachingwala community is accessing funds generated by the MCA for improvement of various social services within the community.  This benefit to the community is obtainable in a relatively shorter time. Returns from tourist activities will be used by the community to improve the social economic status.

MCA Private Sector Benefits

The private sector benefits from the MCA include improved use of fertilizers and water pumped to irrigate the plantations. This involves the reusing of discharge water from the sugar plantations. This has been implemented in conjunction with WWF Partners for Wetlands. The wetlands are also used as bio-filter for effluent from the plantations, minimising pollutants before being discharged into the environment.  Such initiatives implemented under the MCA helps the sugar plantations comply with environmental regulations and improve community and nationwide relationships through minimised pollution discharged into the river.

The MCA also provides a buffer zone for the sugar plantation by wild animals and cattle. Scouts from the local community will also patrol the MCA against illegal activities.

A spirit of cooperation and good is being created between the sugar plantations and the local community. The sugar plantations will contribute to the social well being of the community leaving next to their plantations and which is also a source of labour for their plantations. The image of private sector will be raised as they Commercial