Approaches to sustainable mineral development in Zambia

Abstract: Zambia is a land-locked country occupying an area of 752 614 km 2, with the geology dominated by Archaean to Neoproterozoic age rocks that contain significant mineral resources. Economically, the most important of these are the Neoproterozoic Katan-gan rocks, which yield the copper and cobalt ores exploited in the Zambian Copperbelt. Copper and Cobalt exports account for over 80 % of Zambia's foreign exchange earnings. Coal-bearing rocks of Karoo age (Permo-Carboniferous to Early Jurassic age) occur in rift valley basins such as the mid-Zambezi Valley in the south of the country. Issues such as a lack of capital investment led to privatization fthe Zambian large-scale mining indus-try. Smaller scale gemstone mining is becoming increasingly important. For example, in 1998, the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development granted over 200 gemstone-mining licences, 30 small-scale mining licences and prospecting permits, and over 70 arti-sanal mining rights for various minerals. A policy Framework Paper (1999-2001) published by the Zambian Government encourages the formalization ofsmall-scale mining activities through the provision of licences for small-scale mining and gemstone trading, and the establishment of four regional mining bureaus for licensing and other services to th