This page contains a description of Zambia’s autocratization episode, as well as an analysis of its environmental performance during the autocratization episode using literature and EPI data.
democratic performance
In 2014, media houses and journalists faced physical attacks and harassment in their work and several retaliations for their reporting. Alleged cadres of the governing Patriotic Front party and local government officials harassed and threatened private and community radio stations (Muchipa & Mulubale, 2023).
In 2016, the ruling Patriotic Front party was on the brink of defeat. It used its youth wing, intelligence, police and loyalists from the military to intimidate its opposition rivals. There were incidents of violence, voter intimidation and unbalanced media reporting (Africa Center for Strategic Studies, 2019). Former president Edgar Lungu strategically undid many of the pillars of Zambian democracy. He challenged the constitution in order to pursue a third term, and the courts ruled in his favor. He also frequently attempted to arrest an opposition leader (Democratic Erosion Consortium, 2022).
environmental performance according to literature
In 2011, Zambia enacted the Environmental Management Act (EMA), which replaces an earlier law. The EMA requires government ministries and departments to conduct strategic environmental assessments for all programs, plans and policies that have an impact on the environment. It also established an environment fund and a central environmental information depository (Zambia Environmental Management Agency, n.d.).
In 2014, Zambia’s auditor general published a report on mining. The report points out that new mines had been opened, and that the mining sector had faced challenges in achieving sustainable mining practices (Chifungula, 2014). Another issue Zambia has been facing is deforestation (Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, n.d.).
environmental performance according to epi
The area marked green is the autocratization episode.
Zambia’s CO2 performance has been deteriorating since the early 2000s. It continued to deterioriate during the autocratization episode. However, it has started increasing again since 2019. If this trend continues, Zambia will be moving in the right direction. But it still has a long way to go to match the CO2 performance of the early 2000s.
conclusion
Zambia autocratized under the Patriotic Front party. There were incidents of violence, voter intimidation and unbalanced media reporting. Additionally, former president Lungu pursued a third term, thereby challenging the constitution. In terms of the environment, Zambia has enacted a law to modernize its environmental governance. The country is dealing with deforestation, and the mining sector has trouble in achieving sustainable mining practices. Zambia’s CO2 performance has been deteriorating since the early 2000s, and it continued deteriorating during the autocratization episode. In recent years, there have been positive developments regarding the CO2 performance.
literature
Africa Center for Strategic Studies. (2019, September 17). Subverting Democracy in Tanzania and Zambia. https://africacenter.org/spotlight/subverting-democracy-in-tanzania-and-zambia/
Chifungula, A. O. (2014). Management of environmental degradation. https://www.ago.gov.zm/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Management-of-Environmental-Degradation-2014.pdf
Democratic Erosion Consortium. (2022, April 22). The Zambian Case: A Lesson in Reversing Democratic Erosion. https://democratic-erosion.org/2022/04/22/the-zambian-case-a-lesson-in-reversing-democratic-erosion/
Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. (n.d.). Climate change and forest loss. https://www.bmz.de/en/countries/zambia/environmental-situation-55842
Muchipa, T. Z., & Mulubale, S. (2023). Understanding the Effects of Politicizing Media Operations: A Study of the Patriotic Front Regime (2011–2021). International Journal of Innovative Research and Development, 12(4), 37–44. https://doi.org/10.24940/ijird/2023/v12/i4/APR23020
Zambia Environmental Management Agency. (n.d.). Environmental Management Act. https://www.zema.org.zm/environmental_management_act/