Drying Hopes: The Hidden Cost of Water Abstraction on Chongwe’s Farmers and Communities

By Agents of Change Foundation

Beneath the vast skies and fertile farmlands of Chongwe District, a quiet crisis is deepening. The Chongwe River once the lifeblood of agriculture and community life is drying up, its steady flow weakened by climate change and unchecked industrial extraction and environmental neglect. For thousands of small-scale farmers, this isn’t just a water problem. It’s a fight for survival.

For generations, the river sustained families who depended on it for farming, livestock, and daily needs. But the rapid expansion water abstraction by some developers along Chongwe River has intensified pressure on Chongwe’s fragile water system, depleting supplies and threatening food security.

“Our animals are dying from thirst. We walk long distances to find water, and sometimes animals get stolen along the way,” said farmer Mr. Bundabunda during a recent community dialogue. “Even our crops are drying up the soil has changed.”

The Hidden Cost of Mining Expansion an Environmental Impact Review (EIR) conducted through focus group discussions and interviews with the Water Resources Management Authority (WARMA) and the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) found that Sino Xinyuan is carrying out large-scale abstraction of the Chongwe River, drastically cutting the amount of water available for domestic, agricultural, and livestock use.

On 12th August the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) called for public comments in the review of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Sino Xinyuan Mining Company Limited in Chongwe district, calling for communities, professionals and institutions to weigh in. and the duration of submission of comments closed on 13th October 2025.

“The soil is no longer healthy. Even when it rains, crops don’t grow like before,” said another farmer, Mr. Manenji, gesturing toward withered maize fields.

The crisis cuts along gender lines. Women and youth bear the heaviest weight walking long distances, often before dawn or after dusk, to fetch water for their families. Meanwhile, young people are dropping out of school as parents can no longer afford fees after repeated harvest failures.

The EIR highlights how reduced access to water worsens existing inequalities limiting women’s productivity in farming and household care, while stripping youth of educational and economic opportunities.

Despite the scale of impact, local communities say they were never consulted before the mining company began drawing water from the river.

“We were not informed or asked for input,” said Mrs. Saili, a community member. “This lack of consultation has created distrust and resentment.”

Regulatory oversight remains weak. Farmers report that enforcement of water regulations is inconsistent and communication between agencies and communities is virtually non-existent.

“We don’t even know what our water rights are,” said a local leader. “The authorities have not helped us.”

The EIR exposes a critical governance gap weak enforcement, limited transparency, and the systematic exclusion of affected communities from decision-making. Without stronger oversight, industrial growth threatens to undermine Zambia’s rural development goals and its commitments to SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

The Chongwe case illustrates how unregulated resource extraction can erode environmental integrity, deepen social injustice, and weaken rural resilience.

Limited access to water endangers food security, nutrition, and health while the unequal burden on women and youth perpetuates poverty. Excluding communities from decisions on water and mining fuels mistrust and potential conflict, particularly in resource-dependent regions like Chongwe.

Policy and Action, a Path Toward Water Justice Government of Zambia must enforce environmental and water regulations to ensure accountability. Empower farmers with legal protection and awareness of their water rights. Invest in water infrastructure boreholes, dams, and irrigation systems.

Establish transparent dialogue platforms between communities, companies, and regulators.

Commission an independent audit of the mining company’s water use. Mining Developers Develop a fair water-sharing framework prioritizing community need.

Allocate part of their CSR budgets to local water and irrigation projects. Build a dedicated industrial dam to ease pressure on community sources. Support reforestation and local ecosystem restoration initiatives.

The situation in Chongwe is a powerful reminder that water is not just a resource it is a human right. As Zambia pursues economic growth through mining, it must ensure that communities are not left to pay the price of progress.

The challenge now is not only to restore water to Chongwe’s parched fields, but also to restore trust, fairness, and accountability in how natural resources are managed.

Without decisive action, Zambia risks entrenching poverty and environmental collapse. But with collective effort from government, industry, and civil society this crisis can become a turning point for stronger water governance, inclusive growth, and climate justice.

Agents of Change Foundation Zambia is a youth-led organization working to promote inclusion of youth and women in governance, climate change, human rights, and emerging social issues.

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