Deadline Date: April 16, 2026
The Environmental and Social Management Plan for mini irrigation schemes under the Strengthening Climate Resilience of Agricultural Livelihoods in Agro-Ecological Regions I and II in Zambia outlines a structured framework to ensure environmentally and socially responsible implementation of irrigation-related activities supported under the SCRALA project.
The focus areas of this ESMP include safeguarding biodiversity conservation, addressing climate change and disaster risk, ensuring community health and safety, upholding labour and working conditions standards, and promoting pollution prevention and resource efficiency. The plan also prioritizes compliance with national environmental and social legal frameworks and international safeguard standards, integrating mitigation, monitoring, and management measures across planning, construction, operation, and decommissioning phases of irrigation schemes.
The ESMP has been developed for irrigation infrastructure activities under a climate resilience project targeting vulnerable smallholder farming communities in Agro-Ecological Regions I and II of Zambia. These regions experience increasing climate variability, droughts, and occasional floods, which severely affect agricultural productivity and livelihoods. The irrigation schemes are designed to strengthen climate adaptation by improving water management, enhancing agricultural productivity, and supporting resilient value chains.
The project is implemented across five provinces including Eastern, Lusaka, Muchinga, Southern, and Western, covering sixteen districts with high poverty levels and climate vulnerability. The initiative directly benefits hundreds of thousands of smallholder farmers, with a strong emphasis on improving resilience among women who play a central role in household food production and nutrition. The ESMP ensures that environmental and social risks associated with irrigation construction and operation are identified early and addressed through structured management approaches.
This management plan is aligned with national development priorities, including Zambia’s long-term development vision and climate adaptation strategies. It supports climate-smart agriculture, water conservation, improved irrigation technologies, and strengthened climate information services. The plan is designed to ensure that irrigation investments contribute to sustainable agricultural transformation while minimizing adverse environmental and social impacts.
During implementation, the ESMP guides all phases of irrigation scheme development including planning and design, construction, commissioning, operation, and eventual decommissioning. It ensures that mitigation measures are integrated into engineering designs, construction practices are environmentally responsible, and operational procedures are developed to sustain both environmental protection and project effectiveness. Continuous monitoring and adaptive management are central to ensuring long-term sustainability.
The ESMP also emphasizes pollution control, responsible waste management, protection of natural ecosystems, and prevention of conflicts within project-affected communities. It establishes clear responsibilities for implementing agencies, contractors, and district authorities to ensure accountability and compliance. Regular monitoring, evaluation, and reporting are key components to track environmental performance and strengthen continuous improvement throughout the project lifecycle.
For more information, visit UNDP.
