Addressing Zambia’s Water Security Challenges

The document examines Zambia's water security challenges, noting that despite abundant freshwater resources, the country faces crises driven by climate change, population growth, and poor governance. It highlights the severe impact of contaminated water on public health, the vulnerability of rain-fed agriculture to droughts, and environmental degradation caused by mining pollution and deforestation. The brief argues that current legal frameworks, such as the Water Act 198, are insufficient, particularly regarding groundwater and shared watercourses. Key recommendations include establishing a National Water Resources Authority, investing in irrigation and infrastructure maintenance, and addressing gender inequalities in water access.

• Zambia faces significant water access deficits, with only two-thirds of the population having adequate access to clean water, a problem that is more acute in rural areas due to insufficient infrastructure and poor maintenance.
• Contaminated water is a major public health threat in Zambia, serving as the third largest cause of mortality for children under five. The country was an epicenter of the 2024 Southern Africa cholera outbreak, recording nearly 20,000 infections and approximately 700 deaths since 2023.
• The agricultural sector is highly vulnerable to water insecurity because only about 4% of arable land is irrigated, leaving the production of staple crops like maize, rice, and wheat dependent on irregular rainfall patterns.
• Mining operations have caused severe environmental degradation and water pollution, specifically affecting the Mushishima Stream and the Kafue River in the Chingola District, where water has turned a murky green.
• Severe droughts since 2018 have forced farmers to pivot toward charcoal production, leading to rapid deforestation in protected reserves and hardwood forests, which drives biodiversity loss.
• Existing legal frameworks are inadequate; the Water Act 198 is limited to monitoring water rights and fails to address groundwater management or shared watercourses, leading to unregulated groundwater exploitation.
• Water scarcity disproportionately affects women and girls, who are primarily responsible for household water collection in rural areas, resulting in lost educational and employment opportunities and increased safety risks.

APA

Maluleke, L. (2024). Addressing Zambia’s Water Security Challenges. Good Governance Africa. https://digitalmallblobstorage.blob.core.windows.net/wp-content/2024/08/Addressing-Zambias-Water-Security-Challenges-PB.pdf

Chicago

Maluleke, Leleti. Addressing Zambia’s Water Security Challenges. Good Governance Africa, 2024. https://digitalmallblobstorage.blob.core.windows.net/wp-content/2024/08/Addressing-Zambias-Water-Security-Challenges-PB.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Maluleke |first1=Leleti |title=Addressing Zambia’s Water Security Challenges |publisher=Good Governance Africa |date=September 2024 |url=https://digitalmallblobstorage.blob.core.windows.net/wp-content/2024/08/Addressing-Zambias-Water-Security-Challenges-PB.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{maluleke2024addressing, author = {Maluleke, Leleti}, title = {{Addressing Zambia’s Water Security Challenges}}, institution = {Good Governance Africa}, year = {2024}, month = sep, url = {https://digitalmallblobstorage.blob.core.windows.net/wp-content/2024/08/Addressing-Zambias-Water-Security-Challenges-PB.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }