Lukanga Swamp

Despite its central location in the country, the Lukanga Swamp remains relatively inaccessible and even today government authorities in Kabwe and Lusaka have relatively little knowledge of or effect on the area.

It supports populations of hippopotamus, and crocodile, and is considered an important site for conservation of lechwe, oribi, marsh mongoose, sitatunga, bushbuck, and python.

In 2000 the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) was reported to be under-resourced in the area and the swamps "are virtually unprotected, and poaching is excessive".

[5] Deforestation for charcoal production and for 'slash and burn' and other types of farming is also reported as a major threat to the Lukanga Swamp ecosystem mainly because it results in erosion of the land, turbidity of the water and siltation.

[5] The development of a tourism industry in the area, which (as has been seen for the national parks) results in greater wildlife conservation efforts, depends on providing access to this part from Mumbwa or Kabwe.

[6] However research on the ground in 2002 found no evidence of impact shock in rocks of the area, concluding that the Lukanga Swamp is not an astrobleme.

NASA image of Lukanga Swamp. Dark spots in the swamp are lagoons , elsewhere the swamp is covered in thick vegetation, mainly papyrus . Dark areas near the Kafue River are swamps with less vegetation. The overlay map shows main rivers, floodplain extent, and unpaved roads in yellow.