Elephant Marsh, Shire Valley

The Elephant Marsh is one of Malawi’s most valuable natural assets, providing habitat for hundreds of bird species, supporting local fisheries and local economies, regulating floods, recharging groundwater, and providing critical ecosystem services for surrounding communities. However, increasing pressure from population growth, unsustainable resource use, deforestation, and climate variability threatens the long-term health of the wetland.

Agricane’s conservation activities focus on supporting habitat protection, environmental education, ecological monitoring, community-led conservation initiatives, and the protection of adjacent riparian forests through the Shire Valley Conservation Project and Thangadzi River Conservancy, and partnerships with local communities, conservation organizations, and government stakeholders. The project seeks to balance environmental protection with the livelihoods of the thousands of people who depend upon the marsh for their wellbeing, by integrating conservation, sustainable agriculture, and community development, helping safeguard the ecological integrity of the marsh while creating lasting benefits for future generations.