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The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Zambia has raised concern over what it described as a trend of underinvestment in environmental protection, with national budget allocations remaining below 1 percent from 2021 to 2025 under the UPND administration.
WWF Zambia Country Director, Nalucha Ziba, said the environment functioned as a pillar for a green economy, ensuring sustainable use of natural resources while fostering long-term economic resilience and social wellbeing.
In response to the K253.1 billion 2026 budget, Ziba said the allocation represented a significant underinvestment in Zambia’s natural capital—its rivers, forests, and wildlife—which underpin key sectors such as energy, agriculture, and tourism.
“Our natural ecosystems are not just environmental assets—they are economic engines,” Ziba said.
She added that protecting natural capital was not a cost but a strategic investment in Zambia’s long-term prosperity.
“Environmental protection is the grease that keeps the wheels of the economy turning,” Ziba stated.
Ziba emphasized that resilient forests, rivers, and wildlife are crucial in reducing operational risks for key industries and shielding the economy from shocks.
“We must match our climate ambitions with the financial commitment needed to secure them,” she added.
To address the funding gap, Ziba suggested innovative financing mechanisms aligned with development priorities.
She cited a Debt-for-Nature Swap to reduce external debt while creating a sustainable funding stream for protected areas, and strategic partnerships with the Green Climate Fund to de-risk and attract private investment into renewable energy.
She further proposed a nature-positive infrastructure policy to ensure Zambia’s infrastructure boom becomes a driver of conservation finance.
Ziba said WWF Zambia stood ready to support government in designing and implementing such solutions.
“WWF Zambia applauds the Government of the Republic of Zambia for presenting a budget that places climate resilience at the core of the nation’s economic vision,” she said.
Read More: Zambia to spend K253.1 billion in 2026. Who got what? See budget breakdown
She commended government’s commitment to diversify the energy mix—targeting 33 percent non-hydro renewables—alongside its successful deployment of Green Bonds to finance solar projects and decisive fiscal measures to combat plastic pollution.
According to Ziba, these actions reflect a bold and forward-thinking approach to building a modern, sustainable, and resilient Zambian economy with climate justice at its core.
“The budget rightly acknowledges the profound economic risks posed by climate change, drawing critical lessons from the devastating 2024 drought,” she said.
Ziba stressed that strategic investments in climate-smart agriculture and resilient infrastructure were essential to safeguarding food security and promoting inclusive, sustainable development.
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