Social and Environmental Dimensions of Large-Scale Land Acquisition of Land Rights ZAMBIA

1. Social and Environmental Dimensions of Large-Scale Land Acquisition of Land RightsZAMBIA Davison Gumbo

2. Scope of Work (1/4) General background • Increasing investments in the acquisition of use or ownership rights to land in Africa for: • Agriculture commodity production • Forests • Provision of environmental services • Such investments increasingly under scrutiny • Quantification process • Review applicable land policies • Examine models of project financial and economic valuation • Determine social and environmental effects

3. Scope of Work (2/4) Process • Policy legal and Institutional Assessment framework (PLIAF) • Country studies and the related case studies • Criteria for case studies • Investment type • Age of investment • Predominant livelihood • Ecological zone and biodiversity values • Degree of community engagement and outreach

4. Scope of work (3/4) • Carried out a rapid assessment of key social and environmental issues in Zambia focusing on: • Community and household reliance on natural resources and main land uses in rural areas, • Known drivers of deforestation and how land acquisition features among these drivers, • Describe potential direct and indirect environmental impacts resulting from large scale land acquisition, • Baseline information on relevant environmental parameters.

5. Zambia Country Study (1/3) Objective: carry out an empirical review of the actual or likely social and environmental impacts (direct and indirect) of select cases of large-scale acquisition of land rights in Zambia Parameters • identify key environmental and social considerations associated with land acquisitions, • assess the direct and indirect social and environmental impacts of selected investment projects in the short-, medium- and long-term, and • Assess how investment was made and extent of compliance with EIA requirements and procedures • Recommend policy, legal and institutional frameworks to mitigate negative direct and indirect environmental and social effects and enhance and positive effects.

6. Zambia Country Study: Brief Intro • Location: 80 and 180 S and 220 and 340 E • Total Country Area: 752,612 km2 • Total Popn: 12.2 million • Popn density: 13 persons/km2 • Forests: 300 million ha • Forest reserves: 62,900 ha – 30% encroached • Plantations: 60,000 ha • Extractable hardwoods: 300 million m3 at 1 to 2 trees per ha

7. Zambia: Agro-ecological Zones

8. Zambia: Vegetation Types

9. Zambia Case Study: the PLIAF (2/3) The PLIAF report • Recognition of land rights under customary tenure • Records of land transfer inaccurate • Extent of some customary areas contested • Chiefs not consulting subjects on land transfer • Conflicts between investors and local people • Forestry reserves are under threat – 30% encroached

10. Zambia Case Study (3/3) • Literature Review • National consultations • Forestry Department • Environmental Council of Zambia • Zambia Land Alliance • Land Husbandry Department • Zambia Development Agency Outcome: Inception report produced and circulated

11. Findings to date: National level • Land allocations to private investors a BIG Government project operating through Adhoc Committees in the targeted districts • Existence of good laws on the acquisition of land e.g., land act of 1995 • Land acquisition processes not being followed and the associated institutions are weak • Chiefs alienate land without community consent • Community reliance on natural resources • Wood-fuel production – charcoal and firewood • Land acquisitions will reduce areas accessible to rural communities for given products • Forests are undervalued and visible in policy

12. Work to date- Case study level • Case study 1: Nansanga Farming Bloc, Serenje District • Literature • Field Mission to Serenje District • District Administration • District Council • Discussions with key stakeholders • Meetings with local smallholder farmers • Outcome: Nansanga Farming Bloc Case study Report

13. Findings to date: Case study level (1/4) The good • New investments are leading to an improvement in infrastructure services e.g., dams, roads • New employment opportunities during construction • New marketing opportunities for both agricultural goods and forest resources • Business opportunities

14. Findings to date: Case study level (2/4) • The Bad • Loss of sources of livelihoods e.g., harvesting areas for non-wood forest products e.g., edible caterpillars • Local level institutions are weak and cannot engage central government • Chiefs (custodians of land) are abusing power and allocate land to speculators • Lack of strong civil society organizations that can play an advocacy role

15. Findings to date: Case study level (3/4) • National legislation and procedures for land acquisitions/transfers available are not being adhered to • Investments in land are not being made with due considerations of the potential impacts on forests and other natural resources • Rural people are being disenfranchised

16. Findings to date (4/4) • Contract negotiations are not transparent and do not involve all relevant stakeholders, particularly the rural population. • Existing land use rights, including non-formal and traditional rights, of the local population are not being factored into discussions

17. Indicative Recommendations (1/2) • Ecological sustainability must be part and parcel of the economic and social sustainability. • Strengthen local level institutions so they can voice their concerns at local and national level • Civil society and especially non-governmental organisations should be encouraged to take up the role of exercising voice for the poor. • Civil society organisations to assist the poor citizen’s access to the policy process.

18. Indicative Recommendations (2/2) • Anyone losing land and/or access rights must receive compensation on the basis of the livelihood value of the land lost.

19. Way Forward • Carry out two more case studies to complete the picture • Actual case study sites not decided yet

20. Thank you