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Flowing through the waters of the once-mighty Kafue River – a source of drinking water and livelihood for millions of Zambians – is poison.

Since the start of the year, four copper mining companies operating in the Southern African nation, including one British and three Chinese firms, have been accused of releasing toxic mining waste into the Kafue River’s watershed in one of the country’s worst environmental disasters.

The most devastating spill occurred on February 18, when the tailings dam holding mining waste from Chinese company Sino-Metals Leach Zambia burst its walls and released 50 million litres of acidic effluent into the river.

The pollution killed fish, burned maize and groundnut crops and led to the deaths of livestock, wiping out livelihoods and deepening the plight of struggling farmers. In the days following the spill, the water supply to the nearby town of Kitwe was shut down.

The spills have sparked outrage across Zambia at a time when the government is planning to quadruple production of copper – a mineral critical to the energy transition – to three million tonnes a year by 2031 to capture a share of the boom driven by rising demand for electric vehicles worldwide.

Copper mining is a cornerstone of the Zambian economy. In recent years, the government has sought to woo international investors to develop its resources, with Chinese companies making some of the biggest investments in its mining sector.

Farmer Nelson Band holds a burnt cob of maize and a sachet of drinking water handed out by the government, which advised people not to drink water from local wells

Farmer Nelson Band holds a burnt cob of maize and a sachet of drinking water handed out by the government, which advised people not to drink water from local wells

“A pattern of gross corporate negligence”

Environmental advocates have accused the companies of reckless mining practices that prioritised profits over safety, and a systemic failure of the government to protect both people and the environment.

“The environmental impact of this pollution is catastrophic,” said Raymond Mutale, Transparency International Zambia’s acting executive director. “Residents are witnessing their livelihoods being washed away with the toxic water, and yet those responsible continue to operate with impunity.”

Environment minister Collins Nzovu described Sino-Metals’ acid spill as “a serious environmental disaster that could have been avoided if proper safety measures were in place”.

He announced that a multi-agency task force will investigate the spill, assess damages and enforce penalties. “We will ensure that those responsible face the full force of the law, and we are reviewing current environmental regulations to prevent future occurrences,” he said.

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A coalition of environmental justice organisations has called on the government to prosecute the Chinese companies for environmental crimes. The coalition decried a “pattern of gross corporate negligence and inadequacies in environmental compliance, oversight and enforcement” and called for urgent reforms of the mining sector.

“Should mining expand within the current status quo and modus operandi, citizens and the environment are at risk of widespread disasters such as those recently reported,” it warned in a joint statement.

The Kafue River turns toxic

When the dam holding Sino-Metals’ mining waste (known as tailings) collapsed, Nsama Musonda Kearns, executive director of the Care for Nature Zambia NGO, rushed to the spill site. She described “a devastating sight” and “people in shock” as the murky acidic waters flooded homes in the nearby Kalusale area.

“People unknowingly drank contaminated water and ate affected maize. Now many are suffering from headaches, coughs, diarrhea, muscle cramps and even sores on their legs,” she told Climate Home News. The community fears having to find alternative farm land to survive, she added.

Around 60% of Zambia’s population of 20 million people depend on the Kafue River for irrigation, fishing and industrial use. The river, which is a major tributary of the Zambezi – one of Africa’s longest-flowing rivers – supplies drinking water for five million people, including to its capital Lusaka.

Traces of acidic effluent which left cracks in the ground on Kalusale farmland

A discoloured maize cob starts rotting after the plant was exposed to acidic water

Traces of acidic effluent which left cracks in the ground on Kalusale farmland

A discoloured maize cob starts rotting after the plant was exposed to acidic water

Structural flaws at the Sino-Metals tailings dam

The Engineering Institution of Zambia (EIZ), the body which regulates engineering practices in the country, dispatched a team of senior engineers to investigate the dam’s collapse.

A preliminary investigation revealed flaws in the dam’s design, approval and operational processes, the institution’s president Wesley Kaluba told Climate Home.

“The team also observed cracks, uncompacted walls and inconsistent wall thickness, which raises concerns about the integrity of the structure,” Kaluba said, adding that there was “insufficient evidence” to confirm whether the infrastructure was operated by qualified and licensed engineers.

Kaluba warned that any EIZ members found to have contributed to the incident will face disciplinary action in line with the institution’s code of conduct.

Sino-Metals has apologised for the environmental disaster and the harm caused to local communities and committed to remedy the situation by cleaning up the river and helping restore people’s livelihoods. Mining activity remains suspended.

A sign to the Sino-Metals Leach Zambia mine in Chambishi, five kilometres from the mine

A sign to the Sino-Metals Leach Zambia mine in Chambishi, five kilometres from the mine

Profits over environmental safety

Unfortunately, the acid spill at the Sino-Metals mine is not an isolated incident.

In January, a toxic spill at the Mimbula Mine, owned by British company Moxico Resources, contaminated nearby water sources. Local residents reported severe water pollution, with rivers turning a reddish-brown colour and emanating a strong chemical odour.

“The Mimbula spill is yet another example of how mining companies prioritise profits over environmental safety,” said environmental lawyer Gloria Mulenga. “Without stricter enforcement, these disasters will continue to endanger lives and livelihoods.”

Moxico Resources did not respond to a request for comment.

“We cannot continue to tolerate this level of recklessness. These mines are poisoning our land and our future.”
Mumbwa resident Beatrice Nkulungwe

Elsewhere in Copperbelt Province, the director of a mine operated by Rongxing Investments was arrested this month after the Chinese company reportedly ignored a government order to halt its activities following the death of a worker, who allegedly fell into a pool of acid, and extensive acid spillage into a local stream.

Further south, in the district of Mumbwa, the Chinese-owned Ozone Mine has also been accused of discharging chemical waste into local water bodies. Farmers in the area reported unusual crop failures and increased cases of waterborne diseases among children.

“We cannot continue to tolerate this level of recklessness. These mines are poisoning our land and our future,” said Mumbwa resident and community leader, Beatrice Nkulungwe. At the time of publication, regulatory agencies had not taken action against the mine.

A polluted stream running down from the Sino-Metals Leach Zambia mine to the Kalusale area

A polluted stream running down from the Sino-Metals Leach Zambia mine to the Kalusale area

Regulatory agencies need sharper teeth

Acid leaks from mining waste are not new in Zambia. Mining companies have previously been accused of cutting corners to maximise output and accountability for disasters has been slow to follow.

A 2017 compliance audit by the Office of the Auditor General raised concerns about the monitoring of mining concessions, but Mutale, of Transparency International, told Climate Home little had changed since then.

Instead, the government’s plan to ramp up copper production has made the situation “even worse due to increased mining projects”, he said.

Mutale said government agencies responsible for the sector’s environmental oversight were too poorly resourced to effectively monitor mining activities and under pressure to approve projects.

“To cure perceived bureaucracy, Zambia Environmental Management Agency has had to fast-track environmental permitting, further weakening oversight,” he added. “If the government is serious about increasing mining production, it must also invest in regulatory agencies to ensure compliance and protect our environment.”

Human rights must be “at the core” of mining for transition minerals, UN panel says

Bobson Sikaala, CEO of African Rivers, an organisation dedicated to protecting water bodies on the continent, warned that weak enforcement of environmental regulations had created an atmosphere of impunity in the mining sector.

“Polluters often face minimal penalties, allowing them to continue their operations without meaningful consequences,” he said.

African Rivers called on the Zambian government to form a cross-sector task force to handle compensation for affected communities, and to mandate climate-sensitive mining practices.

“The government must give these laws sharp teeth to bite. We cannot afford to have regulations that look good on paper but fail in reality,” Sikaala added.

Main image: Farmers Nelson Banda and Elizabeth Bwalya stand in a field of maize burnt by the acid spill in Kalusale, about 20 kilometres from the Sino-Metals Leach Zambia mine

The post “Catastrophic” acid spills at copper mines test Zambia’s plans to boost production appeared first on Climate Home News.

“Catastrophic” acid spills at copper mines test Zambia’s plans to boost production

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IEA slashes pre-war oil demand forecast by nearly a million barrels per day

Published

5 hours ago

on

April 15, 2026

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Global oil demand is expected to be almost one million barrels per day less than was forecast before the Iran war, as shortages and soaring costs prompt drastic cutbacks by consumers and businesses, a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Wednesday.

With the closure of the Strait of Hormuz choking off supplies and keeping prices high, less oil is being used to make products such as jet fuel, LPG cooking gas and petrochemicals, the Paris-based IEA said in its monthly oil report, forecasting the biggest quarterly demand drop since the COVID pandemic.

The Iran war “upends our global outlook”, the government-backed agency said, adding that it now expects oil demand to shrink by 80,000 barrels per day in 2026 from last year.

Before the conflict began, the IEA said in February it expected oil demand to rise by 850,000 barrels per day this year, meaning the difference between the pre-war and current estimates is 930,000 barrels a day, or 340 million barrels a year.

That could have a significant impact on the outlook for planet-heating carbon emissions this year.

At an intensity of 434 kg of carbon dioxide per barrel of oil – the estimate used by the US Environmental Protection Agency – the annual reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from oil for 2026, compared with the pre-war forecast, is similar to the amount emitted by the Philippines each year.

Harry Benham, senior advisor at Carbon Tracker, told Climate Home News that he expects at least half of the reduction in oil demand to be permanent because of efficiency gains, behavioural change and faster electrification.

The oil shock is leading to oil being replaced, especially in transport, with electricity and other fuels, just as past oil shocks drove lasting reductions in consumption, he said. “The shock doesn’t delay the transition – it reinforces it,” he added.

Demand takes a hit

While demand for oil has fallen significantly, supplies have fallen even further. Supply in March was 10 million barrels a day less than February, the IEA said, calling it the “largest disruption in history”.

This forecast relies on the assumption that regular deliveries of oil and gas from the Middle East will resume by the middle of the year, the IEA said, although the prospects for this “remain unclear at this stage”.

    Last month, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright told the CERAWeek oil industry conference that prices were not high enough to lead to permanent reductions in demand for oil, known as demand destruction.

    But the IEA said on Wednesday that “demand destruction will spread as scarcity and higher prices persist”.

    Industries contributing to weaker demand for oil include Asian petrochemical producers, who are cutting production as oil supplies dry up, the report said, while consumers are cutting back on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which is mainly used as a cooking gas in developing countries, the IEA said.

    Flight cancellations caused by the war have dampened demand for oil-based jet fuel, the IEA said. As well as cancellations caused by risk from the conflict itself, airports have warned that fuel shortages could lead to disruption.

    Across the world, governments, businesses and consumers have sought to reduce their oil use after the war. The government of Pakistan has cut the speed limit on its roads, so that people drive at a more fuel-efficient speed, and Laos has encouraged people to work from home to preserve scarce petrol and diesel.

    Nepal’s EV revolution pays off as oil crisis causes pain at the pumps

    Consumers in Bangladesh are seeking electric vehicles (EVs) to avoid fuel queues and, in Nigeria, more people are seeking to replace petrol and diesel generators with solar panels, Climate Home News has reported.

    In the longer term, the European Union is considering cutting taxes on electricity to help it replace fossil fuels and France is promoting EVs and heat pumps.

    IEA urged to help “future-proof” economies

    Meanwhile, the IEA came under fire last week from energy security experts, including former military chiefs, who signed an open letter in which they accused the agency of offering “only a temporary response to turbulent markets”, calling for stronger structural action “to future-proof our economies”.

    They said that besides releasing emergency oil stocks and offering advice on how to reduce oil demand in the short term, the IEA should show countries how to reduce their exposure to volatile oil and gas markets.

    The IEA has also been under pressure from the Trump administration to talk less about the transition away from fossil fuels.

    This article was amended on 15 April 2026 to correct the drop in 2026 forecast oil demand from “nearly a billion” to “nearly a million”

    The post IEA slashes pre-war oil demand forecast by nearly a million barrels per day appeared first on Climate Home News.

    IEA slashes pre-war oil demand forecast by nearly a million barrels per day

    Continue Reading

    Climate Change

    Iowa Moves to Shield Farmers, Ethanol Plants, From Lawsuits Over Emissions

    Published

    6 hours ago

    on

    April 15, 2026

    By

    Climate lawsuits are a largely nonexistent threat to farmers in the state, but ethanol producers could benefit from the law.

    By Anika Jane Beamer, Georgina Gustin

    DES MOINES, Iowa—Aaron Lehman has many concerns about the fate of Iowa’s farmers. Climate lawsuits aren’t one.

    Iowa Moves to Shield Farmers, Ethanol Plants, From Lawsuits Over Emissions

    Continue Reading

    Climate Change

    IEA slashes pre-war oil demand forecast by nearly a billion barrels per day

    Published

    6 hours ago

    on

    April 15, 2026

    By

    Global oil demand is expected to be almost one billion barrels per day less than was forecast before the Iran war, as shortages and soaring costs prompt drastic cutbacks by consumers and businesses, a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Wednesday.

    With the closure of the Strait of Hormuz choking off supplies and keeping prices high, less oil is being used to make products such as jet fuel, LPG cooking gas and petrochemicals, the Paris-based IEA said in its monthly oil report, forecasting the biggest quarterly demand drop since the COVID pandemic.

    The Iran war “upends our global outlook”, the government-backed agency said, adding that it now expects oil demand to shrink by 80,000 barrels per day in 2026 from last year.

    Before the conflict began, the IEA said in February it expected oil demand to rise by 850,000 barrels per day this year, meaning the difference between the pre-war and current estimates is 930,000 barrels a day, or 340 million barrels a year.

    That could have a significant impact on the outlook for planet-heating carbon emissions this year.

    At an intensity of 434 kg of carbon dioxide per barrel of oil – the estimate used by the US Environmental Protection Agency – the annual reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from oil for 2026, compared with the pre-war forecast, is similar to the amount emitted by the Philippines each year.

    Harry Benham, senior advisor at Carbon Tracker, told Climate Home News that he expects at least half of the reduction in oil demand to be permanent because of efficiency gains, behavioural change and faster electrification.

    The oil shock is leading to oil being replaced, especially in transport, with electricity and other fuels, just as past oil shocks drove lasting reductions in consumption, he said. “The shock doesn’t delay the transition – it reinforces it,” he added.

    Demand takes a hit

    While demand for oil has fallen significantly, supplies have fallen even further. Supply in March was 10 million barrels a day less than February, the IEA said, calling it the “largest disruption in history”.

    This forecast relies on the assumption that regular deliveries of oil and gas from the Middle East will resume by the middle of the year, the IEA said, although the prospects for this “remain unclear at this stage”.

      Last month, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright told the CERAWeek oil industry conference that prices were not high enough to lead to permanent reductions in demand for oil, known as demand destruction.

      But the IEA said on Wednesday that “demand destruction will spread as scarcity and higher prices persist”.

      Industries contributing to weaker demand for oil include Asian petrochemical producers, who are cutting production as oil supplies dry up, the report said, while consumers are cutting back on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which is mainly used as a cooking gas in developing countries, the IEA said.

      Flight cancellations caused by the war have dampened demand for oil-based jet fuel, the IEA said. As well as cancellations caused by risk from the conflict itself, airports have warned that fuel shortages could lead to disruption.

      Across the world, governments, businesses and consumers have sought to reduce their oil use after the war. The government of Pakistan has cut the speed limit on its roads, so that people drive at a more fuel-efficient speed, and Laos has encouraged people to work from home to preserve scarce petrol and diesel.

      Nepal’s EV revolution pays off as oil crisis causes pain at the pumps

      Consumers in Bangladesh are seeking electric vehicles (EVs) to avoid fuel queues and, in Nigeria, more people are seeking to replace petrol and diesel generators with solar panels, Climate Home News has reported.

      In the longer term, the European Union is considering cutting taxes on electricity to help it replace fossil fuels and France is promoting EVs and heat pumps.

      IEA urged to help “future-proof” economies

      Meanwhile, the IEA came under fire last week from energy security experts, including former military chiefs, who signed an open letter in which they accused the agency of offering “only a temporary response to turbulent markets”, calling for stronger structural action “to future-proof our economies”.

      They said that besides releasing emergency oil stocks and offering advice on how to reduce oil demand in the short term, the IEA should show countries how to reduce their exposure to volatile oil and gas markets.

      The IEA has also been under pressure from the Trump administration to talk less about the transition away from fossil fuels.

      The post IEA slashes pre-war oil demand forecast by nearly a billion barrels per day appeared first on Climate Home News.

      https://www.climatechangenews.com/2026/04/15/iea-slashes-pre-war-oil-demand-forecast-by-nearly-a-billion-barrels-per-day/

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