Natural resources are a major source of wealth and power in Africa; they are also key to rural development and good governance. Natural resources? land, minerals, forests, wildlife, coastal areas, pastures and watersheds? are central to the livelihoods of 70% of the population and dominate some African economies. The fate of Africa?s natural resources governance cannot be separated from the broader context of the economic and development challenges that Africans face. The greater part of Africa includes a myriad of territories and areas customarily governed, managed and conserved by its indigenous peoples and communities. The international terminology ?ICCA? has been used to describe such territories only in the last decades, but the relevant practices are often many centuries-old and relate to an amazing variety of names and institutions.

There has been recognition of increased degradation and massive loss of natural resources in Africa under state control. There is an increased call by stakeholders for strengthening local and indigenous communities to be engaged in direct governance of natural resources, drawing from customary knowledge, wisdom and institutions and engaging in fair negotiations among partners. Governance diversity, quality and vitality ? a strong echo to the results of the 2014 World Parks Congress of Sydney and the Promise of Sydney in particular ? are key words in a new and promising vision for the conservation of nature where the Indigenous and local Community Conservation territories and Areas (ICCAs) are fully recognised and supported in Africa as in the rest of the world.

Fully in line with this vision, the German Ministry of the Environment (BMUB) the United Nations Development Programme - Global Environment Fund - Small Grant Programme (UNDP GEF SGP), the ICCA Consortium, International Union for Conservation (IUCN) and United National Environmental Programme (UNEP WCMC) currently actively collaborates to implement the ICCA Global Support Initiative (GSI). The main goal of the initiative is to foster the appropriate recognition of, and support to, ICCAs and the promotion of their effectiveness via enhanced capacities in at least 26 pilot countries. In East and Southern Africa the pilot countries include Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and Namibia.

A number of pieces of legislation, policies, programmes and strategies at national level provide opportunities to support the ICCAs approaches for multiple natural resources management in Zambia. Examples include the Joint Forestry Management, community forestry management and community based natural resource management (CBNRM). In particular, the concept of CBNRM concept is based on devolution of authority and responsibility on resource ownership. It covers devolution of power and rights on the resources for mutual benefit; and the practice of CBNRM also appeals to common sense: local people can manage resources more effectviely and efficiently than institutions located further away so long ther are tangible benefits associated to it. The institutional framework also exist which has a mandate to support heritage resources conservation including the traditional Affairs ministry for preservation of culture and