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The Zambian government has unveiled three landmark policies aimed at strengthening environmental governance and climate resilience as the country faces the growing challenges of climate change.
The policies include the National Forestry Policy, the National Meteorology Policy, and the National Policy on Environment.
Green Economy and Environment Minister, Mike Mposha, officially launched the three documents at Pamodzi Hotel in Lusaka on Thursday.
Mposha said the policies were interconnected and collectively lay the foundation for a coordinated and forward-looking system of environmental governance.
He highlighted that Zambia faced threats from deforestation and forest degradation driven by unsustainable agriculture, charcoal production, population growth, and weak enforcement.
“The new National Forestry Policy aims to halt these trends by promoting sustainable forest management, expanding community forest areas, strengthening law enforcement, and enhancing forest monitoring systems,” Mposha said.
The policy supports increased investment in forestry value chains and prioritizes research, beekeeping development, and improved forest management planning.
“These measures will not only strengthen stewardship but also create jobs, enhance rural livelihoods, and increase Forestry’s contribution to the national economy,” he added.
Mposha said the National Policy on Environment provides a comprehensive framework to address land degradation, pollution, unplanned settlements, biodiversity loss, and indiscriminate waste disposal.
“It also aligns Zambia with regional and international environmental obligations and emphasises sustainable land-use planning, pollution control, and environmental justice,” he said.
He noted that the policy reinforces national commitments under Vision 2030, the Eighth National Development Plan, and various climate agreements.
The National Meteorology Policy, also launched on Thursday, seeks to modernize Zambia’s capacity to generate accurate and timely weather and climate information.
Mposha stressed the critical role of meteorological services in safeguarding agriculture, health, infrastructure, water resources, energy, and national security.
“The policy strengthens the legal and institutional framework governing meteorological services, improves coordination across sectors, and enhances early warning systems for extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, storms, and heatwaves,” he said.
He added that the policy also promoted the commercialisation of certain services while ensuring that public interests were safeguarded.
“Only through collective action, shared responsibility, and sustained commitment will we realise our aspiration for a climate-resilient, productive, and inclusive Zambia,” Mposha stated.
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