Upemba National Park

Upemba National Park is a large protected area in southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo in Haut-Katanga Province that includes wetlands, lakes, rivers and upland terrain within the Upemba Depression. The park conserves a mixture of aquatic and terrestrial habitats that support regional biodiversity.

Key features include extensive marshes and a network of lakes and channels that flood seasonally, providing habitat for aquatic and semi-aquatic species and creating a mosaic of savanna and wetland ecosystems. Access is limited and conditions are remote in many parts of the park, so visits usually require local arrangements.

The park was created under colonial administration in 1939 to protect the distinctive wetlands and wildlife of the Upemba Depression and has since been managed as a national park by successive authorities. Human settlement, pastoral use and conservation pressures have influenced management and access over time.

Upemba National Park lies in the southeastern part of the DRC’s Haut-Katanga region, centered on the Upemba Depression and its lakes and rivers. The park occupies a remote interior landscape distinct from the nearby mining and agricultural zones of the province.

• Established date: Originally established as a protected area in 1939, the park conserves a range of wetland, savanna and upland habitats in southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

What to See #

• Upemba Depression: The Upemba Depression is a low-lying basin of lakes, marshes and seasonally flooded plains that forms the park's ecological heart and supports diverse wetland habitats.
• Lake Upemba and wetlands: Lake Upemba and adjacent shallow lakes and channels host aquatic wildlife and are central to the park's water-based ecosystems.