Zambia continues to face increasing climate variability and shocks especially droughts, floods, and cyclones. These undermine agricultural and energy production, with subsequent negative impacts on food and water security, incomes, and livelihoods. Zambia’s national development strategies prioritise geographically targeted investments or ‘growth poles’ in agriculture, mining, tourism, and manufacturing, which are intended to serve as engines of pro-poor growth.
This policy brief synthesises evidence on whether growth poles – particularly mining areas, sugar estates, farm blocks including agro-processing yards, tourism areas, and industrial yards – contribute to poverty reduction and climate resilience in Zambia, and proposes policy measures that are needed to strengthen the poverty reduction and resilience-building effects of growth poles. It draws on nationally representative panel data – the 2012, 2015, and 2019 Rural Agricultural Livelihoods Survey (RALS), and the 2022 Living Conditions Monitoring Survey (LCMS) – complemented by spatial analysis and extensive qualitative fieldwork.
Authors: Andrew Shepherd, Mary Lubungu, Cleopas Sambo, Benny Kabwela, Richard Bwalya, Arthur Moonga, Vidya Diwakar and Herrick Mwewa