Ecosystem Conservation

Protecting and restoring the landscapes and water systems that sustain Upemba.

Upemba National Park is a critical ecological system at the source of the Congo Basin. Its high plateaus, rivers, wetlands and gallery forests regulate water flows that sustain landscapes far beyond the park boundaries. These ecosystems act as natural filters, store carbon in soils and peatlands, and stabilise regional rainfall patterns.

Decades of conflict, poaching and environmental pressure disrupted this balance. Fires intensified, water infiltration declined and fragile habitats degraded. Ecosystem conservation in Upemba therefore goes beyond protection alone. It focuses on restoring the natural processes that regulate water, soil and climate, rebuilding a system that supports both biodiversity and human resilience across the region.