Critical Minerals and Land Use Governance in Zambia (CMLUZ): 2024
Project Summary
The Centre for Environment Justice (CEJ), in partnership with the Climate Compatible Growth (CCG) programme, is implementing the Critical Minerals and Land Use Governance in Zambia (CMLUZ) project. This initiative explores the intersection of land rights, tenure systems, and the increasing demand for critical minerals in Zambia, driven by the global shift to renewable energy technologies. As mineral-rich territories overlap with areas of agricultural, environmental, and cultural significance, the project aims to unpack the governance challenges associated with land acquisition for mining, particularly within Zambia’s dual land tenure system—customary and statutory.
By examining the processes, policies, and power dynamics that shape land transactions for mining, CMLUZ seeks to generate evidence-based insights that inform sustainable land use and responsible mineral governance. The project will contribute to academic, policy, and community-level discussions on equitable mineral development and transparent land governance.
Project Objectives
- To assess land acquisition processes for mining investments in Zambia, identifying the steps investors follow and the negotiations involved, including the roles and participation of different actors such as local chiefs, government institutions, and communities.
- To analyse Zambia’s legal and policy framework on land governance and mining, highlighting gaps in coordination, implementation, and enforcement, and identifying the impacts of these gaps on different stakeholder groups, especially vulnerable communities.
- To evaluate benefit-sharing mechanisms, examining how land custodians and local communities currently benefit—or fail to benefit—from mining-related land use and how these mechanisms can be improved to support social equity and local development.
Expected Results
- Enhanced Understanding of Land Tenure Dynamics: The project will generate practical insights into the social, environmental, and economic tensions arising from land use for mining, particularly in areas governed by customary tenure.
- Evidence-Based Policy Recommendations: The research will highlight legal and institutional gaps and produce actionable policy proposals that support equitable land governance and responsible mineral development.
- Improved Stakeholder Engagement Frameworks: Findings will inform strategies for inclusive negotiations and decision-making processes, ensuring that traditional leaders, communities, and other key actors have a voice in land allocation and mining governance.
Unveiling Zambia’s Critical Minerals Governance | Policy Gaps & Solutions
The Stakeholder Dialogue on Critical Minerals and Land Use Governance in Zambia