Development devours forest reserve in Zambia

[Lisbeth]

Carien Du Plessis 04.12.2019

- A forest reserve outside Zambia’s capital, Lusaka, has shrunk to just 716 hectares (1,770 acres) from its original 1,750-hectare (4,320-acre) span to make way for housing and lifestyle developments.
- The developments are also pumping sewage into the Chalimbana River, contaminating the fish and water that local communities rely on, and leading to outbreaks of diarrhea.
- Top government officials have been named among the recipients of some of the plots, including the vice president, chief justice, and ministers.
- Activists mounting a legal challenge to end the construction and restore the forest to its previous state saw an earlier ruling in their favor overturned, and are skeptical about getting justice in what they call “an engineered case.”

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