A Political Ecology of Copper Production and Environmental Degradation In Zambia

Zambia has been producing copper for more than a century. Over the past three decades, the country has attracted large scale investments within the mining sector making it one the formidable destination for investment in Africa. However, the relationship between copper production and environmental degradation is intrinsically linked and further hampered by socioeconomic, political and developmental factors.The case of Zambia is used to empirically validate and authenticate how environmental management resulting from copper production has adversely affected the country. The nation\u27s copper production was initially under private ownership in the colonial era; Post Independence, nationalization of copper production was initiated with various environmental protection initiatives introduced; nonetheless, copper ownership reverted into private hands during the movement towards privatization in the 1990s. Under both tenure modalities, the result of historical relics of copper mining has impacted the environment and health of surrounding communities giving rise to increases in disease prevalence and environmental waste. This study examines the environmental results of copper production on the copper belt province townships using a political ecology theory. The method is then used to propose policy change recommendations through the various study findings to enhance better environmental protection mechanisms and to minimize environmental degradation in Zambia