The Zambia Land Alliance (ZLA) has observed that with the high demand for critical minerals world over, there will be more demand for land for mining activities than for other land usages.
ZLA Executive Director Patrick Musole says other land usages and activities will suffer more at the expense of mining activities which he has attributed to priority being given by government to the extractive sector.
He states that with the annual copper production projected at 3 million tonnes per year, it is likely that there will be more need for land for mining activities and he has expressed concern over the displacement of local communities which will stem from it.
Mr. Musole says although there are standard procedures and pieces of legislation on displacement, the compensation given to displaced communities is not enough, stating that in some cases, communities are displaced without following the laid down procedures of resettling communities.
Mr. Musole was speaking during the provincial mining indaba organised by CARITAS Solwezi in collaboration with other civil society organisations.
