Zambia – Zambia Eastern Kafue Nature Alliance (EKNA) Data Analytics and Duke University Climate + Health collaboration

USAID has commissioned a research team to design an evaluation and conduct the baseline data collection and analysis for the USAID/Zambia Eastern Kafue Nature Alliance (EKNA) Activity in 2022-2023. The EKNA Activity will be implemented in several Game Management Areas and conservancies that border the eastern side of Zambia’s Kafue National Park, by a consortium of public and private sector partners led by The Nature Conservancy. High poverty rates in the area lead to a dependence on natural resources and income from forests for many households, contributing to deforestation and forest degradation from wood extraction, agricultural expansion, and fires.

To address these issues and impact both conservation and human well-being outcomes, the EKNA Activity is comprised of four strategic approaches:

• Strengthen natural resource compliance and management systems
• Develop inclusive ecosystem-based markets for local prosperity
• Strengthen community maternal and child health and improve access to
clean water
• Develop effective land and resource use planning, tenure, and governance
systems

This project is supported by a number of PDRI-DevLab Research Fellows.