Socio-Economic Impact of Mine Closure and Development of Exit Strategy for Rural Mining Areas in Zambia: A Case Study of Kalumbila District

Lumwana and Sentinel mines both located in Kalumbila District of Zambia are operational and are planned to continue operating until 2038 and 2033, respectively. It is anticipated that the closure of these mines would have a significant impact on the well-being of the local communities similar to the experiences of host communities in other areas where mines have been closed in Zambia. The local communities in Kalumbila District currently rely heavily on these mines for their socio-economic development in that the mines provide employment, education, social facilities and health services. In order to avoid negative experiences of these communities, an appropriate exit strategy is required for Lumwana and Sentinel mines, as part of their mine closure plan. This paper proposes a Community Exit Strategy (CES) that would mitigate the socio-economic impact of mine closure on the communities of Kalumbila District. The proposed exit strategy will alleviate the socio-economic impact of mine closure on communities. This is in line with Sustainable Development Goal 11.

The first step in developing the proposed Community Exit Strategy is re-establishing communication among the three key stakeholders i.e., government, local communities and investors. This should be done to provide a basis for the key stakeholders to have a common and clear understanding of their objectives and expectations. It is then important to carry out an assessment of the livelihood of the local community through a demographic study of the four main villages in the area namely; Mumena, Matebo, Mukumbi and Musele. This is aimed at determining the socio-economic characteristics of the population in these areas. Thereafter, an investigation of the potential socio-economic activities that could be undertaken in the area after mine closure will be carried out. The findings of the investigation will form the basis upon which the proposed community exit strategy can be implemented.