Zambia

By Environmental Governance Programme (EGP)

Zambia’s development trajectory has been significantly associated with the mining sector, with mining operations taking place in the country for almost 100 years. Mining accounts for 12 percent of GDP and over 70 percent of the country’s exports (World Bank, 2016).

In addition to large-scale mining, around 30,000 people are engaged in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM), concentrated on gemstones (primarily emeralds and amethysts), gold and, more recently, manganese, which is a key component in the production of rechargeable batteries for electric cars.

However, the potential of ASM to generate income, jobs and livelihoods has not been fully harnessed due to low local content in mineral value chains, inadequate value addition, unsustainable mining practices and inconsistencies in mining policies.

Key results

The EGP supported environmental inspections by the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Development and the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) in Lusaka and the country’s Central and Eastern Provinces.
The programme supported on-site training to 1,650 ASM operators in these provinces, with a focus on enhancing environmental compliance among formal and informal ASM miners, safer mining practices that do not adversely impact the environment, and the promotion of Participatory Environmental Monitoring (PEM) approaches.
An environmental toolkit for ASM miners, communities and regulators was developed in 2021 and replicated with 100 miners in Zambia’s Southern, Eastern and Copperbelt Provinces, who were trained as Trainers of Trainers (TOTs) on environmental management.

Progress and Achievements

The EGP’s work with Zambian authorities seeks to strengthen systems and practices that enhance social and environmental safeguards in mining and quarrying, with a focus on training, demonstration and mentoring of operators, regulators, and community members to enhance their environmental management, enforcement, and monitoring capacities.

Improving Environmental Inspection Capacities

In 2021, the EGP and its partners supported the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Development and ZEMA to undertake inspections and on-site training in the Central, Eastern and Lusaka regions. Limited resources and capacities have been a major constraint to Zambian regulators in providing adequate oversight through mining site inspections.
The inspections identified extensive environmental degradation, with most of the mines operating without environmental impact assessments (EIA) and Environmental Management Plans (EMP). The EGP is working with Zambian authorities to roll out training workshops to sensitize miners to environmental management and safer mining practices, and to integrate regular inspections into the Ministry of Mines’ reporting frameworks.

Development of Environmental Assessment Toolkit

The EGP supported the development of a simplified toolkit for ASM miners, communities and regulators, focusing on how to assess the interlinked environmental, health, social and safety impacts of ASM activities.
Regional workshops on how to implement the environmental assessment guidelines were organized in the Southern, Eastern and Copperbelt Provinces.
While 100 workshop participants in the three provinces completed the Training of-Trainers (ToTs) workshops, over 1,600 participated in on-site training sessions. The ToTs are expected to roll out training to advance monitoring capacities to communities and ASM miners through training, demonstration, and mentoring. The workshops enable ASM miners, associations, and communities to improve their understanding of methods for safer and more sustainable mining processes that help protect the environment and their livelihoods.

Multi-Stakeholder Workshop on Environmental Management

The EGP supported the organization of a workshop about the implementation of EMPs and Environmental Project Briefs by ASM miners, resulting in key policy recommendations for decision makers.
The workshop brought together 35 representatives from the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development, the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment, ZEMA, the Copperbelt University, ASM miners and associations, and environmental protection NGOs.

EGP Partners

The EGP forged a complementary partnership with the ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme in 2021, building synergies with a focus on improved delivery of support. Through this partnership, the EGP worked with key stakeholders including the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Development, the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment, ZEMA, the private sector, the Association of Zambian Women in Mining, the Federation of Small-Scale Miners Association of Zambia, civil society, cooperating partners, UN agencies and local communities in mining areas.