Potential for integrated landscape approaches: A review of Zambia’s national environment and development policies

Abstract

• This brief explores Zambia’s national environment and development policy climate and whether it is conducive to operationalizing an integrated landscape approach (ILA). • We find Zambia’s national development plan and environment and development policies are characterized by three themes: diversification, decentralization, and integration. This suggests favorable conditions for operationalizing a landscape approach, however, putting these policies into practice remains a challenge. • Challenge areas include: clarifying rights and responsibilities, strengthening stakeholder capacity, and identifying a negotiated and transparent change logic that resonates at the national, regional, and local scale. • We suggest a greater commitment to these principles and the adoption of a landscape approach holds potential to enhance policy performance and equitable natural resource management in Zambia.