The Government of Zambia has partnered with the World Bank, including the AquaInvest Platform , funded by PROBLUE , a multidonor trust fund administered by the World Bank, to carry out strategic assessment of aquaculture development priorities. Mapping aquaculture suitability of Zambia enables determination of the country’s full potential and opens possibility to plan for sector growth. Aquaculture spatial planning serves as a critical building block in Zambia's overall strategic objectives to alleviate poverty, create livelihoods and jobs around aquaculture, conserve biodiversity and reduce climate change impacts.

While developing the aquaculture regulatory framework, special attention to the instruments of resolving conflicts between competing usage of finite natural resources is critical. Spatial planning is the key among such instruments. Thus, to guide new investments in the aquaculture sector, the assessment identified aquaculture suitability zones in the country, using the Multi-Criteria Evaluation, a well-tested methodology for aquaculture site selection and spatial planning studies. It specifies, creates, and aggregates comprehensive sets of evaluation criteria which inform the decision-making process (see specific criteria applied to situation in Zambia below).

The resulting zoning is available in format allowing the development of public-facing applications, such as the Map of Potential Aquaculture Areas launched by Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock , and integration with initiatives like the 2023 National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy (NFAP) . The information helps for policy makers, public officials, and private sector representatives to save time and resources while identifying optimal sites for new aquaculture enterprises.

Zambia Aquaculture Sector

With high levels of poverty ( 64.3% of population living on less than US$2.15 a day in 2022 ), rural poverty, and food insecurity ( 32.1% of total population in 2022 ) Zambia depends on the economic opportunities provided by its natural resources. The country’s water bodies and wetlands, covering 1.6% and 19% of its territory, provide it with reliable resources for fisheries and aquaculture.

According to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), fisheries and aquaculture contribute approximately 2% of Zambia's GDP, with fish accounting for 30% of the national dietary animal protein . Fish and seafood consumption in Zambia remains at approximately 13 kg per person annually (2017-2019), below the global average of 20.4 kg . Increasing aquaculture production could help address food insecurity, which particularly affects children. In 2022, among Zambian children under 5 years old, the prevalence of wasting was at 4.2% and of stunting at 31.4% .

According to FAO , total aquaculture and fisheries production in Zambia reached 185,076 tons in 2022, with aquaculture contributing 41%—a significant increase from 13% a decade ago. Fast growth in aquaculture has driven the 84% increase in aquatic products output in Zambia since 2012.

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Mapping aquaculture suitability in Zambia

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