About Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources

The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources was re-aligned in 2016 through Government Gazette Number 836 of 2016. This re-alignment saw the removal of the function of environmental protection from the Ministry. The Ministry is responsible for land administration, forest management and climate change programmes co-ordination.

The Ministry consists of eight (8) departments namely: Human Resource and Administration, Lands, Survey, Lands and Deeds, Forestry, Climate Change and Natural Resource Management, Finance and Planning and Information departments. In addition, the Ministry is responsible for the Zambia Forestry College and the following statutory bodies and Institutions: Lands Tribunal and Survey Control Board.

 Statutory Mandate

The mandate of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources is to administer land and manage natural resources within the Ministry’s mandate for sustainable land use and climate resilient low emission systems.

Strategic Objectives

i) To improve natural resource management

ii) To improve land administration

Roles and Responsibilities

The Ministry’s roles and responsibilities include addressing challenges of rapid rate of deforestation, loss of biodiversity, land allocation, surveying, registration of lands and deeds, climate change programmes coordination, natural resource research and training, non-tax revenue collection and land related dispute resolution.

Policy and Legal Framework

The Ministry is guided by the following policies and legal framework:

i) Forestry Policy of 2014,

ii) National Policy on Climate Change of 2016;

iii) National Wetlands Policy of 2018; 1995 Lands Act;

iv) Land and Deeds Registry Act;

v) Land Survey Act;

vi) Lands Tribunal Act;

vii) Land Perpetual Succession Act;

viii) Common Leasehold Act; and

ix) Forest Act No. 4 of 2015.

The Ministry is also guided by Article 253 of the Constitution of Zambia Amendment No. 2 of 2016 has stipulated principles upon which land shall be held, used and managed. Further, Cabinet Office Circular No.10 of 2014 provides for the Devolution of selected functions to Local Authorities.

Specific Functions

In accordance with the Government Gazette Notice No. 836 of 2016, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources is responsible for the following portfolio functions:

i) Beaconing

ii) Control of Unauthorised Settlements;

iii) Forestry Extension and Development;

iv) Forestry Policy;

v) Land Administration;

vi) Land Audit;

vii) Land Policy;

viii)Land Surveys and Mapping;

ix) Natural Resources Policy:

x) Registration of Land and Deeds;

xi) Natural Resources Research and Training; and

xii) Climate Change (Implementation)

In addition to these portfolio functions, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources is responsible for the following statutory bodies:

i) The Lands Tribunal;

ii) The Survey Control Board