The High Court of Zambia gives green light to mining in the  unspoilt Lower Zambezi National Park

Court of Zambia has ruled that the controversial Kangaluwi open-cast copper mine project will go ahead in the heart of the Lower Zambezi National park.

��The site of the mine is between two seasonal rivers which flow directly into the Zambezi River.
��The mine’s tailings dams will be located just a few hundred metres above the valley floor, next to these rivers.
��The risk of pollution and collateral damage to the environment is high, as is the impact the mine will have on the wildlife in the area.
��Unless an appeal is lodged quickly, the mine company will move onto the site and begin the work of clearing it.
��The Lower Zambezi National Park is one of tourism’s major economic contributors and the lodges in and around the park employ hundreds of local people, supporting thousands more in the communities on its periphery.
��The mine threatens this thriving tourism economy and the livelihoods of everyone involved in tourism in the Lower Zambezi Valley.
��It also threatens to derail Zambia’s recently unveiled tourism growth strategy which hinges on the country’s commitment to protecting its wilderness areas.
��The Lower Zambezi National Park sits directly opposite Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools National Park, which is a Unesco World Heritage Site. 

Source:  https://www.lusakatimes.com/2019/10/23/the-high-court-of-zambia-kangaluwi-gives-green-light-to-mining-in-the-lower-zambezi/