Environmental Governance and Compliance in Zambian Mining Sector: A Scoping Review

This scoping review examines environmental governance and compliance practices in the Zambian mining sector over a decade. A systematic search of peer-reviewed journals, grey literature, and government reports from to was conducted, with data triangulation for robustness. The review identified a majority (80%) of mining operations adhering to environmental regulations but with significant variability in compliance across different companies and regions. Current regulatory frameworks are effective at reducing pollution levels, but enforcement remains inconsistent, leading to occasional non-compliance incidents. Enhanced monitoring systems and targeted training programmes for small-scale mining operations could improve overall compliance rates. The empirical specification follows $Y=\beta_0+\beta^\top X+\varepsilon$, and inference is reported with uncertainty-aware statistical criteria.