The Zambia Environmental Management Authority – ZEMA has confirmed that an environmental impact assessment was conducted on the construction project of the US$100 million Radisson Blu Mosi-oa-tunya resort in Livingstone and that the project was approved by the authority.
National Pension Scheme Authority – NAPSA had last week unveiled the commencement of the construction of the US$100 million landmark investments in Zambia’s tourism capital of Livingstone.
However, concerns were raised by some environmentalists, Livingstone based lodge owners and other interest groups to the Zambian Business Times – ZBT indicating that part of the land offered for the construction of the hotel is within the “elephants corridor”. It is feared that this resort may lead to the elephants abandoning the route and thereby their visibility and attraction to Livingstone, which is Zambia’s tourism capital.
But ZEMA Corporate Affairs Manager Irene Lungu-Chipili told ZBT in an exclusive interview on July 9, 2020, that an assessment was conducted, the relevant reviews done and approved subject to NAPSA’s sufficient mitigation measures throughout the project development and subsequent operations of the hotel and resort.
She said a public hearing was also conducted within the area and ZEMA will continue to check on compliance levels on the environment and that the developer has demonstrated mitigation measures to allow the natural environment to continue amidst the operations of the hotel and resort.
“ZEMA’s role throughout this process is to check out how the project will run and ensure that NAPSA is adhering and is complaint to all the environmental concerns and mitigating measures agreed as part of the approval process. The environmental screening of the project has been done by ZEMA and the project was approved by ZEMA as well, which means that necessary consultations including getting input from national game park experts and the communities around was included,” She added.
