Authors : Naomi Njovu; Dr. Phiri

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 8 - August

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/ebte6a2t

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26aug1151

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : The 2025 Kafue River pollution disaster exposed significant environmental and socio-economic inequalities among rural communities dependent on the river for their livelihoods. This study examined how the disaster disproportionately distributed environmental burdens and analysed the environmental justice dimensions of distributive, procedural, and recognition inequalities experienced by affected communities. A mixed-methods convergent parallel design guided by the pragmatism paradigm was employed. Data were collected from 65 participants comprising 50 small-scale fish farmers and 15 key informants using structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis, while qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed substantial livelihood losses following the pollution incident, with fish production declining by 45.1%, household income by 45.3%, food security scores falling from 7.8 to 4.0, and livelihood resilience decreasing from 7.5 to 4.1. Women experienced disproportionate impacts through disrupted fish processing and marketing activities and increased household food security responsibilities. The study further established that environmental injustice was reflected in the unequal distribution of environmental burdens, weak environmental governance, limited community participation, inadequate regulatory enforcement, and insufficient recognition of vulnerable communities during response and recovery efforts. The study concludes that the Kafue River pollution disaster disproportionately affected rural livelihoods while exposing significant distributive, procedural, and recognition injustices. It recommends strengthening environmental regulation and monitoring, enhancing community participation in environmental governance, establishing transparent compensation mechanisms, and implementing livelihood restoration programmes to promote environmental justice and improve resilience among vulnerable rural communities.

Keywords : Kafue River Pollution, Environmental Justice, Distributive Justice, Rural Livelihoods, Environmental Governance.

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