Along rivers and farmland in Zambia’s Copperbelt, communities are living with the environmental and social consequences of renewed mining activity. Global demand for copper used in electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies has seen business surge in Zambian mining towns like Kitwe, Luanshya, Mufulira and Chingola.
Concerns over pollution and environmental oversight intensified after an acid spill in February 2025 at the Chinese-owned Sino-Metals Leach Zambia operation contaminated a nearby river which forms part of the Kafue River watershed.
The Kafue River is vital in supplying water for Zambians in four of the country’s 10 provinces. Aside from destroying crops and killing fish, the incident renewed fears about water safety, health risks and long-term ecological damage that the mining industry brings.
“After that major acid spill, toxins went into the river,” local resident Lloyd Mwakwa tells DW.
“Those are serious toxins, and they will affect us in the long run,” he adds.
For many residents, the incident reinforced long-standing anxieties about whether mining expansion can coexist with community well-being.
Zambia sees health issues linked to mining pollution
Environmental activists say pollution, heavy metal exposure and land displacement continue to affect mining areas, which neighbor farmland or villages.
“Rising health issues linked to pollution threaten public health,” says community project officer Andrew Chanda Chimfwembe at the Catholic Archdiocese in Ndola, working with local communities.
“As mining expands, communities lose land and social cohesion weakens, while inequality deepens when local people do not benefit,” Chimfwembe told DW.
Environmental degradation affecting agriculture especially affects the livelihoods of rural women. Agness Tembo, a women’s rights advocate, explains that land loss has disrupted farming, a key source of food and income for many households.
“Many girls and women depend on farming for daily sustenance,” she tells DW. “When land is taken for mining, their livelihood options shrink.”
Yet for others, mining remains a critical source of opportunity in a region with limited employment alternatives.
“Mining investment is important because it creates jobs and business opportunities,” Copperbelt resident Landa Mulima told DW.
“If it is well managed and properly regulated, communities can benefit through employment and improved infrastructure.”
Zambia’s copper in demand from global renewables sector
As worldwide industries shift towards cleaner energy, Zambia’s long-running copper industry has become a strategic resource in the global energy transition.
The metal is essential for batteries, power grids, and renewable energy systems, making the southern African country a key natural resource hub as demand surges.
“Zambia is Africa’s second-largest copper producer, poised to produce 1 million tonnes of copper in 2026 and 3 million tonnes by 2031,” Mines and Minerals Development Minister Paul Kabuswe said at a recent media briefing.
The Zambian government says it seeks to balance economic growth with environmental protection. In January 2026, President Hakainde Hichilema stressed that mining investments must support local development and domestic businesses.
“It’s very important that if we are driving the growth agenda, we take care of issues relating to creating opportunities for domestic businesses in the ecosystem of what the mining industry is able to bring,” said Hichilema.
Officials say policies are in place to protect mining communities, including stricter environmental impact assessments, increased monitoring by the Zambia Environmental Management Agency, requirements for land rehabilitation, and measures to safeguard water sources.
Authorities argue responsible mining is essential if copper is to support a just energy transition.
Short-term contracts for mine workers
However, labor unions warn economic gains are not being evenly shared. Mining companies increasingly rely on outsourced labor, which unions say has weakened job security and wages.
“Workers are employed on short-term contracts, sometimes as short as six months,” says Joseph Chewe, president of the Mine Workers Union, which is based in Kitwe.
“The conditions are not the same as those of permanent employees.”
Apart from exceptional cases, Zambian mineworkers are not paid high wages, leaving Zambian policymakers increasingly having to weigh the relatively short term economic benefits against the increasingly significant, long-term environmental impacts of the copper industry.