The Zambian government has cancelled plans to construct an open-pit Kangaluwi copper mine in Lower Zambezi National Park after a strong opposition from environmentalists.
The national park is one of Zambia’s most economically important protected areas and a haven for endangered wildlife.
Tourism and Arts Minister Ronald Chitotela was quoted by Lifegate as saying that the mining project will not proceed as a report that was submitted by the environmental regulator had expired.
“If this mining firm wants to go ahead with its project, we can advise them to submit a fresh report which will have to be scrutinised and approved by the government,” he said.
Environmental activist James Carlington, who had launched a petition urging the Zambian government to immediately halt plans for the Kangaluwi mine, said the southern African country should honour obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity and the 2008 agreement of 17 Zambezi chiefs to prohibit all mining in the Zambezi Basin.
A recent survey conducted through tourism operators in the Lower Zambezi and South Luangwa national parks, which together contain the highest number of safari-based tourism operations in Zambia, revealed the vast majority of respondents would unlikely visit a national park containing an open-pit mine or would not even consider visiting one in the first place.
Blogs
