Zambia Environmental Management Agency reportedly approves $3.3 billion worth of projects

The Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) Board of Directors has reportedly approved 203 proposed development projects valued at US$3.3 billion during its first and second meetings of 2025.

According to ZEMA Board Chairperson Lovejoy Malambo, the approvals were made by the Environmental Assessment Committee (EAC) of the 5th Board of Directors.

The mining and mineral processing sector reportedly accounted for the majority of the approved projects, with 130 focusing on mineral exploration and the construction and operation of processing plants.

Central Province emerged as the leading region for these developments, reflecting its growing role as a mineral development hub.

“The approval of these projects underscores ZEMA’s commitment to fostering sustainable development while ensuring environmental protection and compliance with national regulatory requirements,” Malambo stated.

He added that ZEMA had strengthened its regulatory requirements for managing tailings storage facilities and other waste from mineral processing activities to address the increase in such projects.

“These measures include stricter conditions on the quality of tailings stored, environmental emergency preparedness, and measures to prevent groundwater contamination,” Malambo said.

He emphasized that ZEMA remained dedicated to enforcing strict environmental standards to balance socio-economic growth and environmental sustainability.

“All developers of approved projects and existing facilities are encouraged to conduct regular self-compliance audits to mitigate the occurrence of environmental emergencies,” Malambo stated.

ZEMA’s reported approval of the projects comes amid heightened scrutiny of environmental standards in Zambia’s mining and development sectors.

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