Founder & Leader of Environmental Democrats Party
Rodgers Lubilo who holds a Doctorate of Philosophy in Development Sociology with a focus on wildlife conservation and community-based natural resources management from Wageningen University, Netherlands is a leading conservationist who has worked to strengthen the implementation of Community Based Natural Resources Management (CBNRM) in Southern Africa. He grew up in rural Zambia in Chief Msoro’s area of the Mambwe District of the Eastern province. He has dedicated his entire life and career to working and advancing the community rights of rural communities to acquire the necessary legal and traditional rights to participate in the sustainable management of wildlife and natural resources. He has worked in the Luangwa Valley (South and North Luangwa Management Areas), Kafue, Zambezi, and Lake Tanganyika landscapes in Zambia. He has worked with communal Conservancies in the Zambezi Region of Namibia, Community Conservation Trust in Ngamiland, Okavango areas of Botswana, Somkhanda Community Trust, KwaZulu Natal, Makuleke Community Property Association (CPAs), Sabie sands communities and several other trainings, including lecturing and managing CBNRM projects at Southern African Wildlife College in South Africa. In Mozambique, he worked closely with WWF- Mozambique, Sabie Game Park and the Mozambican government to develop a community conservation programme in the Mangalane community of Moambe.
During his tour of duty, Dr Lubilo has worked with notable global conservation organizations such as the World-Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), and regional initiatives such as Luangwa Integrated Resources Development Project (LIRDP), Legal Assistance Centre (LAC), Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation (IRDNC). He has implemented projects supported by Norwegian Aid for International Development (NORAD), United States Aid for International Development (USAID), Danish Aid for International Development (DANIDA), European Union (EU) and International Conservation Union (IUCN) among many other organizations.
Dr Lubilo is currently a Technical Director and leader of the Zambia Community Resources Board Association, Chairperson, Zambia CBNRM Forum, Founder of the Community Conservation Coalition Zambia, Chairperson Community Leaders Network (CLN- Southern Africa), and also sit in the CITES working group committees on Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs), member of the IUCN Southern and Eastern Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist (SULi).
He is also the founder and Director of the Governance Institute for Environment and Development (GIELD Institute) and founder and Chairman of the Rodgers Lubilo Foundation. In addition, he does private consulting and has done notable assignments with the World Bank, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Biocarbon Partners, Government, GIZ, and NNF among many other organizations.
He has mentored, coached and assisted several young conservation leaders with the opportunity to excel in the conservation field. He continues to provide global leadership in conservation and has made presentations at high-level bodies such as the EU parliament, the United Nations, CITES, and global conferences including the Africa Wildlife Economic Summit. He has travelled globally for work around the World and this exposes him to global politics, environment and global economy and development.