2025 National Forestry Policy

Overview

The 2025 National Forestry Policy provides Zambia’s strategic framework for the conservation, management, and sustainable utilization of forests, aligning with the Vision 2030, the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP), and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The policy aims to promote forest restoration, biodiversity protection, climate change mitigation, and improved livelihoods for communities dependent on forest resourcesNATIONAL-FORESTRY-2025.

Purpose and Rationale

Forests cover over 60% of Zambia’s total land area and play a critical role in carbon storage, soil conservation, and socio-economic development. However, the country continues to experience high rates of deforestation and forest degradation—driven by charcoal production, agricultural expansion, mining, and infrastructure developmentNATIONAL-FORESTRY-2025.
The new policy replaces the 2014 version, integrating emerging challenges such as carbon trading, forest-based enterprises, climate-smart forestry, and nature-based solutions (NbS).

Key Objectives

1. Conserve and sustainably manage forest ecosystems for current and future generations.
2. Enhance community participation through decentralised and participatory forest management systems.
3. Promote private sector investment in forest-based enterprises, including eco-tourism and carbon markets.
4. Strengthen institutional and legal frameworks for forest law enforcement and governance.
5. Facilitate access to climate finance and forest development funds for reforestation and restoration initiativesNATIONAL-FORESTRY-2025.

Situation Analysis

The policy identifies four major challenges affecting Zambia’s forests:

1. Deforestation and Forest Degradation:
   • Zambia’s forests are disappearing at an estimated rate of 374,800 hectares per year, with total forest loss standing at 45.4 million hectares by 2021.
   • Key drivers include unsustainable agriculture, energy demand (charcoal and firewood), and infrastructure expansionNATIONAL-FORESTRY-2025.
2. Ecosystem Services Decline:
   • Deforestation has reduced forest carbon stocks and ecosystem services such as water regulation, soil fertility, and climate stability.
   • Communities depending on non-wood products (e.g., honey, mushrooms, caterpillars) face declining yields due to forest loss.
3. Weak Law Enforcement:
   • The Department of Forestry lacks adequate personnel and resources to monitor forest use.
   • By 2022, the department had 1,402 staff against a need for 2,028, and inadequate transport limits enforcement effortsNATIONAL-FORESTRY-2025.
4. Limited Capacity Development:
   • Challenges include insufficient technical skills, outdated forestry data systems, and lack of modern monitoring tools.

Strategic Focus Areas

The policy emphasises multi-stakeholder collaboration across government, communities, private sector, and civil society in the following areas:

• Participatory Forest Management (PFM): Empowering communities to manage and benefit from forest resources.
• Forest Landscape Restoration: Rehabilitating degraded lands through afforestation, reforestation, and agroforestry.
• Forest-Based Enterprises: Promoting sustainable timber and non-timber products such as honey, mushrooms, and carbon credits.
• Climate Action: Mainstreaming forest-based carbon sequestration and integrating forests into Zambia’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.
• Research and Innovation: Developing climate-resilient indigenous tree species and forest mapping systems.

Implementation and Coordination

Implementation is led by the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment (MGEE) through the Department of Forestry, working in partnership with:

• ZEMA – Environmental oversight and regulation.
• DNPW – Wildlife and ecosystem protection.
• Local Authorities – Community-level forest management and enforcement.
• Traditional Leaders – Custodians of customary forest land.
• Private Sector and NGOs – Partners in eco-tourism, reforestation, and carbon tradingNATIONAL-FORESTRY-2025.

Financing Mechanisms

Funding for implementation will come from:

• Government budget allocations.
• Forest Development Fund.
• Carbon credit revenues and forest bonds.
• International climate finance (e.g., GCF, GEF).
• Private sector partnerships and community forest enterprisesNATIONAL-FORESTRY-2025.

Guiding Principles

• Sustainability and Equity: Forest management must balance ecological protection and community benefits.
• Transparency and Accountability: Enforcement of laws against illegal logging and encroachment.
• Gender Inclusion: Empowering women in forest-based enterprises and decision-making.
• Science-Based Decision-Making: Use of data and innovation for evidence-based policy action.

Expected Outcomes (2025–2030)

• Reduction in annual deforestation rate by 30%.
• Rehabilitation of 2 million hectares of degraded forest land.
• Creation of green jobs through sustainable forestry value chains.
• Enhanced carbon sequestration capacity through reforestation projects.
• Strengthened institutional coordination across all forest governance levels.

Conclusion

The 2025 National Forestry Policy establishes a transformative vision for forest sustainability and climate resilience in Zambia. It seeks to align conservation with livelihoods, ensure equitable benefit-sharing, and position forestry as a key driver of green economic growth under the Ministry of Green Economy and EnvironmentNATIONAL-FORESTRY-2025NATIONAL-FORESTRY-2025.

Citation

Republic of Zambia (2025). National Forestry Policy. Ministry of Green Economy and Environment, Lusaka.