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

Notes to applicants: Please ensure to include your technical and financial proposals as applications sent without these documents will not be processed. Please indicate the role title as your email subject.
Dead Line for submission: 10th July, 2025

Submission email: hr.zambia@africanparks.org

Dead Line for submission: 10th July, 2025

Submission email: hr.zambia@africanparks.org