Blue Lagoon National Park occupies 420 square kilometres on the northern side of the Kafue flats, and is subject to flooding by the Kafue River during the wet season. Many animals, in particular the endemic Kafue Lechwe, are found here in the wetland areas, as well as an abundance of bird life (around 580 different species have been seen here), and zebra, kudu and buffalo graze the drier parts. The park provides a contrast to the other parks in Zambia because of its vast flat landscape and spectacular birding. It also provides a perfect leisure destination for the residents of, and visitors to, Lusaka, with its close proximity to the capital. Sadly, organised poaching has resulted in the present lack of many previously indigenous species within the park. Those species that have survived are vastly reduced in number.
The local community has seen no benefit from investment in the local area, and, due to a lack of education in environmental and conservation issues, has itself contributed to the decline. In August 1991, the Kafue Flats ecosystem, including Blue Lagoon National Park, was declared a Ramsar site. The Ramsar list of wetlands has been created to develop and maintain an international network of wetlands which are important to the “conservation of global, biological diversity and for sustaining human life through the maintenance of their ecosystem components, processes and benefits/services”. Today wetland habitat is the fastest disappearing ecosystem in the world and, as such, we believe that enormous and sustained efforts must be made to conserve it. This can only be achieved through concerted and coordinated efforts between the interested organizations and stakeholders in the Blue Lagoon region. Our aim, therefore, is to coordinate this in order to rehabilitate the park and enhance the lives of the local community.