Large-scale land acquisitions, displacement and resettlement in Zambia

Abstract

The increase in demand for land can be attributed in part to rising incomes among middle-class Zambians, but also to the Zambian government’s drive to boost economic growth and reduce poverty by attracting foreign investors. This increase in leasing and selling land shows substantial demand in a context of increased land scarcity. Cases of unjust displacement, where households are forced off their land without their consent and without compensation, have been widely reported. There are, however, also instances where communities have resisted displacement.