• Move by government to allow mining activities in the lower Zambezi is regrettable.
• The Development is retrogressive.
• Government should put in consideration that there are serious impacts of mining in the lower Zambezi.

Zambia National Students Union (ZANASU) says government’s move to go ahead and award a license that will allow mining activities in the lower Zambezi is regrettable.
Union President Steven Kanyakula told Money FM News that this development is retrogressive as it comes at a time when the country is trying to mitigate issues of climate change which have contributed to droughts and floods.
Mr. Kanyankula stated that government should put into consideration that there are serious impacts of mining in the lower Zambezi which will result in erosion, sinkholes, loss of biodiversity and contamination of soil from mining processes.
“These processes also have an impact on the atmosphere from the emissions of the carbon which have effect on the quality of human and animal health and biodiversity,” he stated.
Mr. Kanyankula said serious environmental impact assessment should have been done before such action was taken.
Green Economy and Environment Minister Collins Nzovu has disclosed that the open pit mining project in the Lower Zambezi National Park will go ahead but under strict adherence measures set by the Zambia Environmental Management Agency-ZEMA- to limit damage to the environment to a minimum.
Mr. Nzovu said with the whole process exhausted and the courts dismissing an appeal to stop the proposed large scale open-pit mine, government is only left with the option of monitoring the situation and to ensure the developer operates within strict conditions.