By Melody Mwala

The Zambia Environmental Management Agency (“ZEMA”) has continued to support economic investment by considering 613 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports as at 30th April 2026. This is against the annual target of 1,200 EIA reports. Out of the 613 projects considered, 585 were approved, 15 were rejected, while 13 were deferred.

The approved projects span various sectors of economic and social development, including 268 in mining and mineral processing, 95 in manufacturing and processing, 100 in energy, 98 in infrastructural development, 15 in agriculture and forestry, as well as, 9 in tourism.

According to a state issued by ZEMA Acting Manager Corporate Affairs Mercy Zulu, among the approved projects is a combined total of 2,799.5 Mega Watts of solar, hydro and thermal energy which is expected to contribute significantly to the production of sustainable energy in the country.

Additionally, ZEMA approved an Assembly Plant of Electric Tricycles and Electric Bicycle Parts in Lusaka South Multi Facility Economic Zone (LSMFEZ), Kafue District, aligning with government’s green growth strategy of a cleaner transport system devoid of carbon emissions.

ZEMA encourages developers to take advantage of the benefits in the new Environmental Management (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations, Statutory Instrument No. 3 of 2026 which has reduced the statutory review fees and timelines for Environmental and Social Impact Statements (ESISs) and Environmental and Social Project Briefs (ESPBs).