The World-Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Zambia has announced that it is launching a pilot project focusing on the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) also known as drones for environmental monitoring in ZamThe project is aimed at enabling the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) attain aerial superiority for increased efficiency in detecting and responding to poaching and other threats in the country’s protected areas.
WWF Zambia Head of Communications and Marketing Eneya Phiri said in a statement that the project was conceived following Government’s produced guidelines on the use of UAVs in June 2016.
“The publication of these guidelines provided an opportunity for the Zambian Conservation sector to take advantage of recent advances in drone technology as cost effective and more efficient tools for surveillance, poaching threat detection and wildlife research applications.” Mr. Phiri said.
“At WWF, we view this landmark development as a great opportunity to equip DNPW and its partners with cutting edge technology that will revolutionize surveillance, research and wildlife monitoring for conservation which has been a severely underfunded sector in Zambia. This technology will go a long way in complementing the efforts of the hard-working men and women who strive every day, risking their lives to protect our country’s iconic wildlife species. It is the way conservation for sustainable development is being conducted in the 21st century and we are proud to be pioneering these efforts in Zambia.” Mr. Phiri said.
The pilot project will target DNPW and six of its partners working in five flagship national parks across the country.
The drones will be used for surveillance of poaching threats, wildlife surveys and monitoring as well as mitigation of human wildlife conflicts.
At the end of the project, the officers involved will be trained and certified to fly UAVs for a wide range of conservation operations such as anti-poaching, wildlife aerial surveys, habitat monitoring and human wildlife conflict mitigation.
The implementation of the project will involve DNPW, the Zambia Civil Aviation Authority (ZCAA), the Zambia Air Force (ZAF) among other strategic partners.
Training for drones’ usage will start on 14th of February 2018.
If successful, this project will lead to full-scale, game-changing innovative surveillance for protecting Zambia’s iconic species.
Thus is the way out. Conservation of these wildlife ssp is vital to the nation. I hope the illegal exportation of these animal and minerals by probate planes may also be monitored especially in Shangobongo and lake Bangweulu.
If it was politics, more comments would been posted.
THAT IS THE WAY FORWARD. MODERN TECHNOLOGY MUST BE USED TO THE NATIONS BENEFIT AND IT’S BEEN LONG OVERDUE. JUST A MONTH OR SO AGO, A FRIEND OF MINE WHO LECTURES AT CBU AND I WERE DISCUSSING THE USAGE OF DRONES IN ALL THE GAME PARKS OF ZAMBIA AND ANOTHER THING I WILL NOT MENTION HERE BECAUSE WE ARE TRYING TO DEVELOP IT. I AM VERY HAPPY THAT SOMEONE HAS EVEN THOUGHT OF IMPLEMENTING DRONES, ALREADY, IN GAME PARKS. EXCELLENT.
I have always suggested this to Zawa even use of sniffer dogs at check points!!
Thanks! Well done Zambia! Congratulations HaPOSITIVE!
This is gud initiate but PF shld nt take de credit! We know this Phiri is married to daughter of compromised PF judge cadre chitambo..
Well done Zambia! Your innovation in nearly every area of human endeavor is fascinating. Someone needs to congratulate you! The other guy wants power so much not because he can develop Zambia but because he wants to employ his people and sell Zambia to – you know who! It will never happen! Let them keep dreaming!
Thought the ZAF and Govt banned the use of drones in Zambia in January