According to the Bank’s website, the project development objective is to increase access to irrigation, enhance integration into agriculture value chains and climate resilience in Zambia.

The project is organized into four components totaling US$108 million, designed to address the interconnected constraints to transform the agriculture sector including irrigation, knowledge, markets, and institutional capacity. The project address identified gender disparities targeting women farmers with specific measures to expand their access to irrigation services, financial products and digitally enabled extension.

Component 1: Irrigation Development and Scale-up (IDA US$67 million equivalent). This component aims to increase the area under irrigation in Zambia by supporting a portfolio of public scheme investments and scaling up farmer-led irrigation, addressing the full spectrum from large-scale infrastructure development to smallholder adoption of irrigation technologies.

Component 2: Knowledge Generation and Digital Dissemination (IDA US$10 million equivalent and TF US$8 million). This component aims to strengthen the knowledge and information systems that underpin sustainable irrigated agriculture, strengthening the extension system addressing the weak research-to-extension linkage that has constrained technology adoption, productivity growth climate resilience, and soil health.

Component 3: Market Access and Value Chain Development (US$17 million) aims to promote the commercialization of agricultural production along key value chains by fostering private sector engagement and improving last-mile infrastructure, with a view to enhancing farmers' economic outcomes and reducing post-harvest losses by providing matching grants to aggregators for last-mile infrastructure — including cold storage, processing, and logistics — accompanied by technical assistance to ensure inclusive and bankable sub-projects linking smallholder farmers to markets.

Component 4: Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) (US$6 million) aims to support the efficient and accountable implementation of the project by covering the costs for project management, implementation of the Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF), M&E of all project activities in line with the Results Framework, adequate fiduciary (procurement and financial management), audits and accountability mechanisms for oversight, including a grievance redress mechanism.

On Maximizing Finance for Development, the project is expected to mobilize approximately US$10 million in private finance — roughly 10% of the IDA grant — through farmer co-investment, aggregator co-financing, and commercial finance facilitation.

Given the nationwide scope, the diversity of activities including infrastructure development and the environmental context of Zambia’s agricultural landscapes, the project is anticipated to present a range of significant environmental risks compounded by potential for cumulative impacts and legacy issues from prior infrastructure. The environmental risks are detailed as: (i) multiple sub-activities distributed nationwide, that could complicate supervision and monitoring efforts; (ii) residual risks arising from previously rehabilitated dams; (iii) potential exposure to asbestos-containing materials within existing irrigation schemes and infrastructure scheduled for rehabilitation; and (iv) limited institutional capacity to implement Bank E&S procedures effectively. Environmental risks include construction nuisances and pollution (dust, noise, waste, and potential air, water, and soil contamination), resource efficiency concerns in water abstraction and energy use (including for pumping and cold storage), risks of soil erosion and vegetation loss due to land clearing and changes in practices, and potential biodiversity and habitat disturbance near rehabilitated dams and new irrigation sites. Community health and safety risks relate to construction traffic and site safety, emergency preparedness, and dam safety considerations where relevant.

The project presents a range of social risks typical of large scale, multi-component rural infrastructure and agricultural transformation projects in the region. Social risks include potential land acquisition and restrictions on land use that may lead to physical or economic displacement; livelihood impacts for smallholders as land and water use patterns change; labor influx and associated risks including gender based violence and sexual exploitation and abuse; potential exclusion of vulnerable groups (women-led farms, youth, persons with disabilities); and cultural heritage risks associated with earthworks. These risks are compounded by limited institutional capacity, the complexity of land tenure arrangements, and the need for robust stakeholder engagement and inclusion strategies.

Total Project Cost: US$ 108.00 million
IDA Grant: US$ 100.00 million
FoodSystems2030 Umbrella Program: US$ 8.00 million

CONTACT POINT - World Bank

Task Team Leader: Silvia Mauri
Title: Senior Agriculture Specialist
Email: smauri@worldbank.org

TTL Contact: Ousmane Yida Yaya-Bocoum
Job Title: Senior Water Supply and Sanitation Specialist
Email: oyayabocoum@worldbank.org

ACCESS TO INFORMATION

To submit an information request for project information, you will have to create an account to access the Access to Information request form. You can learn more about this process at: https://www.worldbank.org/en/access-to-information/request-submission

ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM OF THE WORLD BANK

The World Bank Inspection Panel is the independent complaint mechanism and fact-finding body for people who believe they are likely to be, or have been, adversely affected by a World Bank-financed project. If you submit a complaint to the Inspection Panel, they may investigate to assess whether the World Bank is following its own policies and procedures for preventing harm to people or the environment. You can contact the Inspection Panel or submit a complaint by emailing ipanel@worldbank.org. Information on how to file a complaint and a complaint request form are available at: https://www.inspectionpanel.org/how-to-file-complaint