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Based in Zambia, WCP plays a crucial role in the global fight against wildlife and environmental crime. The trafficking of illegal wildlife products and the illegal timber trade constitute serious, organised crime conducted by networks operating across borders in the Southern African region.
Wildlife and environmental crime is now estimated to be worth over USD1 trillion, with governments from wildlife source countries losing between USD7 billion and USD12 billion (World Bank, 2019). This trafficking significantly detrimentally impacts our biodiversity, ecosystems and the security of affected communities.
Zambia, surrounded by eight countries with porous borders, is both a source country for wildlife products and timber and a major trade route for a wide range of illegal contraband, including:
These products flow from surrounding countries (Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Namibia) to transit countries (the Democratic Republic of the Congo (the DRC), Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Angola and Mozambique).
Lusaka, Zambia’s capital, is a well-known hub for wildlife criminals where wildlife products are processed, and criminals can access weapons, finances and other logistical requirements.
However, Zambia’s geographic location also provides several opportunities, which WCP has capitalised on by building relationships and networks with organisations and individuals working to combat Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) throughout the entire criminal processes in Zambia and regionally across Africa.
