Blog

This World Wetlands Day, we explore the freshwater lagoons and expansive floodplains of the Busanga Plains, Kafue National Park to discover why this wetland system is one of Zambia’s – if not the region’s – most important natural treasures.

Wetlands make up 4,030,500 hectares or 19% of Zambia’s total area, and are an integral part in supporting the health of its natural environment, wildlife and people. These complex ecosystems play an irreplaceable role in removing pollutants from the environment, protecting the climate by storing up land-based carbon, absorbing water and thus supporting food supply, as well as providing a home and breeding space for up a wide variety of species. It is for all these reasons – and many more – that protecting wetlands and conserving their natural resources is essential for the survival of the planet and all its inhabitants.

Zambia currently has eight sites designated as Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Sites), which are recognised globally as having significant value for the country, region and humanity as a whole. The Bangweulu Swamps and Kafue Flats became Zambia’s first Ramsar sites in 1991, when the government ratified the international Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar Convention). The treaty provides the framework on the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. By 2008, Zambia’s Ramsar site list had grown to include the Barotse (Zambezi) Floodplains, Luangwa Floodplains, Lukanga Swamps, Lake Mweru-wa-Ntipa, Lake Tanganyika and Busanga Swamps.

Life on the Busanga Plains, Kafue

The Busanga Swamps, known also as the Busanga Plains, is a 72,000-hectare seasonal wetland hidden away in the north-western region of the Kafue National Park. This is Zambia’s largest and oldest national park, representing about 36% of the country’s national parks coverage. It forms part of the five-country Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area and is quite possibly one of Africa’s last great expanses of well-protected pristine wilderness. Kafue, and in particular the Busanga Plains, is one of the country’s least visited natural areas and it continues to remain truly wild and remote.

It is made up of palm groves, large grassy plains or dambos, and winding interconnected channels. The swamp ecosystem of Busanga is crucial in naturally filtrating and replenishing groundwater and acting as flood control for the Kafue and Zambezi rivers. The plains are seasonal due to flooding from the Lufupa River during the wet season, which causes an explosion of lush vegetation and abundant water sources over Busanga. As the flood waters recede from about June through to November, they leave behind a playground for a wide collection of animals such as lion, cheetah, buffalo, hippo, elephant, near-endemic red lechwe, the endangered African wild dog, side-striped jackal, and the rare oribi antelope.

Almost 500 species of birds have been recorded on the Busanga Plains. The list includes vulnerable species like the wattled and grey crowned cranes, Chaplin’s barbet which is endemic to the area, and beauties like Ross’s turaco and black-backed barbet that enjoy the fruit of Busanga’s wild fig trees and date palms. Large flocks of open-billed and yellow-billed storks thrive off small creatures like crustaceans and fish in the shallow pools. The lesser kestrel and Montagu’s harrier are just some of the birds to migrate here in the warmer months.

For the local community that live near to the Busanga Plains, traditional fishing rights ensure that this remains an important source of food, income and connection to the land. There is a wide variety of fish, most notably banded tilapia, tigerfish, and vundu, a type of catfish. Moving away from the water, the Busanga Plains are dotted with magnificent baobab trees that bear historical and traditional significance through the fables that local people have passed down for generations.

As a large freshwater wetland in Southern Africa, the Busanga Plains is not only Zambia’s national treasure, but also a critical source of life for the wildlife and communities in neighbouring countries. The seasonal full into and flow outward from the plains provide the necessary drinking water, sanitation and a host of natural resources to thousands of people.

Eco-tourism that cares for Zambia’s natural and cultural heritage

Zambia is a leader in sustainable tourism in Africa, taking a ‘quality over quantity’ approach to the safari industry in this key conservation areas like Kafue. Due to the park’s vast size and the difficult access routes that are further restricted during the rainy season, it is without major development. Safari lodges and camps that are there, need to follow environmental standards and regulations set out in the 1998 Zambia Wildlife Act. All of this means that the Busanga Plains remains in a near-untouched condition.

Chisa Busanga Camp was built to mimic its surrounds, resulting in not only a beautiful and unique architectural design but also a small collection of structures that keep the integrity of the Busanga Plains environment. Chisa is the Nyanja word for ‘bird’s nest’, and the four Nest suites were inspired by the weaver bird nests that are built in the surrounding trees. The camp runs completely off solar-generated power as do the game drive vehicles used to explore plains during the dry season (June to November).

Our signature Silent Safaris experience was pioneered at Ila Safari Lodge in central Kafue with Zambia’s first solar-powered electric game vehicle, the e-Landy. Silent Safaris are also part of the Chisa experience, and the e-Landy offers guests a game drive that is gentle on Busanga’s delicate environment an eco-friendly way to explore the plains. Because the e-Landy is powered by solar rather than diesel, the ride is quiet which makes the game sightings more intense, the birdlife interactions closer, and the sounds of the bush uncompromised.

World Wetlands Day is an opportunity to bring awareness locally and internationally to the critical importance of wetlands. But protecting and caring for wetlands like the Busanga Plains is a year-round job done by dedicated conservationists, communities, and government officials. As much as 35% of the world’s wetlands have disappeared in the last 50 years and the goal for Zambian’s to strive for is to not allow the Busanga Plains and the rest of Zambia’s wetlands to add to the sad statistic.

First published in Grow Zambia Magazine.