Surroundings in Zambia

The 2022 Census recorded 19,693,423 people in Zambia, with 55.3% living in rural areas and 44.7% in urban areas. The urban population grew by 70% between 2010 and 2022, increasing pressure on housing environments, roads, water supply, sanitation, waste collection, green space and electricity. National figures provide useful context, but they do not describe every neighbourhood. Conditions vary by province, settlement type, income, local authority and access to formal services. Water and sanitation are central parts of everyday surroundings. In 2022, safe-water access reached 91.9% in urban areas and 63.0% in rural areas. Households use public or private taps, boreholes, protected or unprotected wells, surface water, kiosks and vendors. Urban households used sewers for 50.7% of flush toilets and septic tanks for 40.8%; pits accounted for 6.9%. Waste disposal remains less formal: nationally, 10.3% of households reported refuse collection and 55.7% used a pit, while urban households reported refuse collection at 24.6% and pits at 51.0%. Local Authorities manage general waste and development control, while ZEMA handles pollution, hazardous waste and related licences. Electricity access also differs strongly by location. In 2022, 80.2% of urban households had an electricity connection compared with 33.8% of rural households. ZESCO remains the main electricity buyer and supplier within a system that also includes independent power producers, off-grid services and solar solutions. The 2023/24 drought reduced hydropower availability and led to load management. The energy system is changing through wider electricity access, solar services, net metering and Open Access arrangements regulated by the Energy Regulation Board. Cooking conditions also matter: 49.3% of households collected firewood and 35.8% purchased charcoal nationally. Roads and public access shape daily life, including access to health facilities, markets, schools, work and public services. The Road Development Agency is responsible for public-road care, maintenance and construction. Zambia's gazetted road network covers 67,671 kilometres. In 2021, the urban network measured 5,597 kilometres, of which 36.72% was paved; the district network measured 13,707 kilometres, of which 15.40% was paved. In the 2022 Living Conditions Monitoring Survey, 94.0% of urban households reported using public transport, 92.7% could access a health facility and 97.0% could access a food market. Access was less consistent for police stations or posts, internet cafés and hammer mills. No nationwide, reliable map of accessible pavements or barrier-free routes has been established. ZEMA regulates environmental pollution and manages complaints about noise, air, water, waste and land degradation. The Environmental Management Act No. 12 of 2011 prohibits excessive noise, and ZEMA sets measurement procedures and standards for construction sites, plants, machinery, motor vehicles, aircraft and industrial or commercial activities. An excessive-noise permit may be available in relevant cases. Noise complaints can be submitted through the ZEMA Environmental Complaint Portal. Zambia does not have an open nationwide residential noise map. Air-pollution conditions are particularly relevant in urban and industrial areas, including parts of Lusaka, the Copperbelt and North-Western Province. Recorded Lusaka PM2.5 concentrations in 2019 ranged from 16 to 58 micrograms per cubic metre. Industry, vehicles, open burning, wood fuel and bushfires are documented sources. Environmental emission licensing can involve an environmental impact assessment, an environmental management plan, resident notification and a fee; the stated processing period is 30 days and validity is three years. Green space is managed mainly through Local Authorities, local planning and Integrated Development Plans, or IDPs. Zambia has no reliable national register of parks, open spaces or urban tree cover. Protected areas cover about 30% of the country, but they are not equivalent to parks or green areas that residents can reach in daily life. Availability therefore needs local checking. Water resources are managed through the Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation, commercial water utilities, NWASCO and the Water Resources Management Authority. Zambia has four catchment offices covering the Kafue, Luangwa, Chambeshi and Zambezi basins. Domestic and non-commercial water use is generally permit-exempt, but domestic use above 10,000 litres per day and agricultural use above 20,000 litres per day require a permit. A domestic borehole application requires a site map and a 30-metre separation from a septic tank, pit latrine or pollution source. My-WARMA applications generally involve registration, application and payment; decisions or objections typically take 30 days. Water users must use water efficiently and sustainably. The Water Resources Management Act provides for an adequate domestic source free of charges for poor and vulnerable people, subject to the legal conditions. Environmental safety includes pollution, hazardous waste, flooding, drought and unsafe infrastructure. A 2022 Living Conditions Monitoring Survey item on walking alone at night recorded 70.9% of cases as very safe, 18.0% as fairly safe, 6.5% as unsafe and 2.1% as very unsafe, with 2.4% reporting that they never walked alone at night. The figures are indicative only because the available microdata are unweighted and do not establish national prevalence. Public participation is available through several local and environmental processes. The Environmental Management Act provides for public participation, environmental review, hearings and review or appeal rights. ZEMA can disclose environmental impact assessment documents and provides complaint and feedback channels. A Ward Development Committee, or WDC, operates in each ward under the Local Government Act No. 2 of 2019. WDCs can prepare annual ward plans, monitor projects, engage communities, submit project and budget proposals to the Constituency Development Fund Committee and support natural-resource co-management. Local Authorities also use stakeholder meetings, town halls and public gatherings during Integrated Development Plan processes. Residents, affected people and other interested members of the public can participate through notices, WDCs, councils and ZEMA. Complaint procedures do not state a fee, while environmental and emission licences can carry fees. Zambia's surroundings are changing through urban growth, climate pressure and infrastructure transition. The 2025 National Policy on Environment addresses decentralised governance, deforestation, biodiversity loss and air, land and water pollution. The Green Economy and Climate Change Act 2024 covers adaptation, disaster-risk reduction, low-emission development, safeguards and a Climate Change Fund. Drought has affected both hydropower and water security, while solar generation, net metering, Open Access, the National Urban and Peri-Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Programme for 2011-2030 and the National Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Programme for 2019-2030 form part of the ongoing response. A local assessment should therefore identify the responsible Local Authority, utility, catchment office or ZEMA contact and check the current service, project and environmental conditions for the specific area.