Principles of environmental and

Principles of environmental and natural resources management and development The management and development of Zambia’s environment and natural resources shall be governed by the following principles: (a) natural resources have an environmental, economic, social and cultural value and this shall be reflected in their use; (b) the person responsible for polluting or degrading the environment is responsible for paying for the damage done to the environment; (c) where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage to the environment, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation; (d) the conservation and protection of ecologically sensitive areas, habitats, species and other environment shall be done in a sustainable manner; (e) respect for the integrity of natural processes and ecological communities; (f) benefits accruing from the exploitation and utilisation of the environment and natural resources shall be shared equitably amongst the people of Zambia; (g) saving of energy and the sustainable use of renewable energy sources shall be promoted; (h) reclaiming and rehabilitation of degraded areas and those prone to disasters shall be promoted; (i) unfair trade practices in the production, processing, distribution and marketing of natural resources shall be eliminated; (j) origin, quality, methods of production, harvesting and processing of natural resources shall be regulated; (k) equitable access to environmental resources shall be promoted; (l) effective participation of people in the development of relevant policies, plans and programmes; and (m) access to environmental information to enable people preserve, protect and conserve the environment. [Article 255 added by section 8 of Act 2 of 2016]