The Zambia Environmental Management Agency (“ZEMA”) has cleared the backlog of Environmental Impact Assessment (“EIA”) reports for developmental projects following the appointment of its 6th Board of Directors on Monday, 8th December, 2025.

During its inaugural sittings held from 9th to 12th December 2025, the Board considered a total of 325 development projects that had accumulated over the past three months due to the absence of a Board. Of these, 321 projects were approved, marking a major milestone in restoring efficiency to the environmental approval process.

The approved projects span across key sectors of the economy and include solar power generation projects with a combined capacity of 898MW, to be developed across ten districts. Other notable approvals include the rehabilitation of the Tanzania–Zambia Railway Line from Kapiri Mposhi to Nakonde by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (Zambia) Limited, the construction of 148 telecommunications towers across various parts of the country, and the construction of three dams in Eastern Province by the Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation.

By sector, the Board considered:
i. 111 mining and mineral processing projects;
ii. 65 energy projects;
iii. 107 infrastructure development projects;
iv. 33 manufacturing and processing projects;
v. 7 agriculture and forestry projects; and
vi. 2 tourism projects

Out of the total projects considered, four (4) were rejected for failure to comply with the requirements
of the Environmental Management Act.
The 6th ZEMA Board is committed to review and consider projects within the prescribed statutory period
in order to avoid delays and ensure smooth project implementation for environmentally sustainable
development.

Issued by:
[Original Copy Signed]
Ruth Kanyanga Kamwi (Mrs.)
Manager Corporate Affairs
Zambia Environmental Management Agency
Email: info@zema.org.zm