Development of land use plan: Land use management for sustainable development for Bangweulu Wetlands

Job description

Terms of Reference (ToR)

Land Use Plan (LUP)

Project Title: Land Use Management for Sustainable Development in Bangweulu Wetlands
Component: Land Use Plan (LUP)
Duration: 4 Months/ Budget Allocation:
Location: Bangweulu Wetlands, Zambia
Lead Implementer: African Parks
Partners: Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Ministry of Tourism and Arts, Local Councils, WeForest, Community Resource Boards (CRBs), NGOs, Academic Institutions

1. Background

The Bangweulu Wetlands encompass a rich mosaic of ecosystems—miombo and Terminalia woodlands, dambos, seasonally inundated plains, and riparian zones. These landscapes support diverse flora and fauna, underpin community livelihoods, and contribute to Zambia’s ecological heritage. However, threats such as deforestation, unsustainable settlement expansion, unmanaged fire regimes, invasive species, and sand mining are degrading habitats and weakening natural resource integrity.

The Land Use Plan (LUP) will guide spatial development and restoration, balance ecological and livelihood needs, and create a foundation for sustainable land governance. The plan will align with national legislation and integrate lessons from similar landscape-level planning efforts in Zambia and the region.

2. Objectives

Develop a spatially defined, community-led Land Use Plan across the six chiefdoms of Bangweulu Wetlands.
Zone land use for agriculture, conservation, settlement, and forest restoration in alignment with ecological integrity and community priorities.
Monitor and restore native vegetation structure and composition across critical habitats.
Control and manage invasive plant species and monitor their reinvasion.
Monitor human-induced degradation, such as sand mining and deforestation.
Integrate ecological research, particularly termite ecology and ecosystem function, into the land-use framework.

3. Scope of Work

Land Use Planning and Zoning

Facilitate participatory consultations in all six chiefdoms using Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) protocol.
Identify and map ecological core zones, community forests, agricultural areas, and settlement zones.
Define spatial regulations aligned to community needs, ecological function, and traditional governance.
Incorporate updated population and land pressure data.
Vegetation and Habitat Monitoring

Establish a baseline for vegetation health and habitat diversity using metrics such as canopy cover, ecosystem extent, and species richness.
Use remote sensing and field surveys to monitor ecosystem change across ecoregions including wetlands, woodlands, and dambos.
Develop vegetation maps linked to ecoregions and habitat condition, updated annually.
Invasive Species Control

Identify invasive species presence, particularly Lantana camara on Chikuni Island.
Conduct seasonal removal campaigns and develop a multi-year control strategy.
Train and deploy local teams to carry out removal, mapping, and reporting.
Degradation and Erosion Management

Identify and monitor erosion hotspots, particularly in dambos affected by sand mining.
Work with district councils to manage and regulate resource extraction within LUP zones.
Monitor impacts on soil health and biodiversity from human activities.
Ecological Research Integration

Conduct targeted research on termite ecology and their influence on soil, termitaria formation, and vegetation distribution.
Integrate findings into restoration priorities, zoning, and carbon planning.
Build ecological monitoring indicators into long-term land management systems.

4. Key Deliverables

Community-endorsed, spatially defined Land Use Plan.
Six (6) Land Use Maps, one for each chiefdom
Digital and printed zoning maps and policy briefs for stakeholder use.
Invasive species removal strategy and implementation records.
Vegetation baseline and ecoregion health report.
Population and settlement analysis report.
Termite ecology research study and technical report.
Final implementation report and M&E framework.

5. Required Qualifications

Lead Consultant/Team

Master’s degree or higher in Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management, Forestry, Ecology, or Land Use Planning.
Minimum of 7 years’ experience in landscape-level land-use planning and rural development.
Proven expertise in GIS, remote sensing, and spatial analysis.
Knowledge in spatial planning
Strong facilitation and stakeholder engagement experience, especially in traditional governance systems.
Knowledge of Zambia’s legal and policy framework on land, forests, and conservation.
Experience in ecological research and data-driven land management preferred.

6. Monitoring & Evaluation Framework

Indicator
Metric
Frequency
Land zoned and mapped by use type
Hectares by zone
One-time baseline
Vegetation canopy cover and health
% canopy cover per ecosystem
Annually
Fire frequency and extent
Number of incidents and hectares burned
Quarterly
Invasive species control
Area cleared and species managed
Biannually
Erosion and sand mining monitoring
Number of extraction sites monitored
Semi-annually
Community compliance with land rules
Number of infractions and areas affected
Semi-annually
Integration of ecological research
Study completed and adopted into plan
Once

7. Risk Management

Risk
Mitigation Strategy
Community resistance to zoning
FPIC-based engagement, livelihood co-benefits, participatory design
Poor fire control capacity
Build fire teams, create firebreaks, local training and early detection
Invasive species re-infestation
Follow-up removal cycles and native restoration
Increased land degradation due to mining/erosion
Implement zoning and collaborate with councils to monitor and regulate
Weak enforcement of land-use rules
Link with Community Resource Boards and align with GMP and development plans
Dead Line for submission: 17th June, 2025

Submission email: hr.zambia@africanparks.org