Care for Nature Zambia has called for the decentralization of institutions mandated to protect the environment, such as the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA), to enable them to respond more proactively to environmental disasters like water pollution.
Organization’s Executive Director, Nsama Kearns, said the current centralized structure limits the capacity of such institutions to conduct regular inspections, resulting in reactive rather than preventive measures, an approach that poses significant risks to ecosystems.
Speaking in an interview with RCV News in Lusaka, Ms. Kearns expressed optimism that decentralization, coupled with adequate resourcing, would enhance the agencies’ ability to monitor, inspect, and raise public awareness on pollution prevention.
She was reacting to remarks made by Minister of Water Development and Sanitation, Collins Nzovu, who recently urged the Water Resources Management Authority (WARMA) to intensify efforts to curb pollution from gold mining activities.
“There is also a need for other institutions under the water and sanitation sector to take a more active role in protecting water sources, not just household water as this would help prevent further damage in the event of pollution, like the recent incident involving Sino Metals, which contaminated the Kafue River and Chambishi Stream, leaving many households stranded,” said Ms. Kearns.
By Christabel Kamunu
