Antoomwe

Antoomwe: A Switch It Initiative

Act Now to Reduce Human-Wildlife Conflict

Taking communities and wildlife from Crisis to Coexistence

When People and Wildlife Coexist, Communities and Ecosystems Thrive

February 2024: A Month Like No Other

This February, Zambia faced its hottest and driest month since 1981. The relentless drought has left an estimated 9.8 million people affected, with 2 million Zambians acutely food insecure. But the crisis doesn't stop with people. The drought has also severely impacted wildlife, drying up watering points and depleting food sources. This scarcity has led to increased competition between humans and animals for basic resources, heightening human-wildlife conflicts in towns such as Livingstone.

2.04

million Zambians

left severely food insecure

3,840

elephants left in Zambia

the lowest elephant population in the KAZA region, which holds a total of 227,900 elephants

186mm

of rainfall in February

against an annual average of 700mm in Southern Province

982,765

hectares of maize

planted have been destroyed by the drought

Call to Action

In response to this crisis, UNDP Zambia has launched the Antoomwe Campaign, aimed at mitigating the effects of the drought and easing tensions between communities and wildlife. This initiative focuses on:

Providing water points for wildlife within the Mosi oa Tunya National Park.
Enhancing community livelihoods by offering alternative income sources, like beekeeping, to members of affected communities.
Educating local communities on the behaviour of wild animals and the critical importance of conservation efforts.

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