Episode 2: COVID-19 & Conservation with Nikita Iyengar | Conservation Lower Zambezi, Zambia.

Conservation Storytelling with Matt Blair

"The Lower Zambezi community is a very low income community...they are not going to be able to sustain their livelihoods anymore, and so we fear that this is going to lead to a rise in poaching." - Nikita Iyengar, General Manager.

One of the most publicised topics that has been centred around COVID-19 is the effect it has had on the tourism industry. With travel international travel restrictions firmly in place through most countries, the tourism sector is facing a major setback.

Without the tourism most lodges and camps have had to either delay their opening dates, or face not open at all. But what does this mean for organisations that rely on the contributions from international tourism to continue their conservation efforts?

My guest this week is Nikita Iyengar who is the General Manager of Conservation Lower Zambezi in Zambia. She will be talking about the work that they are doing in the Lower Zambezi region, but also what the closure of the camps and lodges means for community members who have become reliant on employment as a primary livelihood income, and how their operations have been restricted without tourism contributions from the operators in the region.

***This podcast is completely self-funded***

To follow Matt: https://www.therustymokoro.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therustymokoro/

To contribute to Conservation Lower Zambezi: https://gogetfunding.com/help-our-lower-zambezi-people-and-wildlife/