irrigation
ZAMBIA IRRIGATION KEY FIGURES
| Hectares Under Irrigation | Irrigation Potential | Utilisation Rate | Financing Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200,000 ha | 2.75 million ha | 7.27% | Public Private Partnerships |
Zambia utilises only 200,000 hectares of its 2.75 million hectares of irrigation potential, a utilisation rate of 7.27%, under a Comprehensive Agriculture Transformation Support Programme that channels new irrigation development mainly through Public Private Partnerships.
The country receives about 160 billion cubic meters of rainfall water annually but currently utilises only 60 billion cubic meters, underscoring the scale of the untapped water resource behind the irrigation gap.
Irrigation Potential and Current Utilisation
Zambia has 75 million hectares of land, of which 58%, or 42 million hectares, is arable, but only 10 to 15% is currently under cultivation, and of the country’s 2.75 million hectares of irrigation potential, only about 200,000 hectares, or 7.27%, are currently utilised for irrigation[1]. Zambia receives approximately 160 billion cubic meters of rainfall water annually but utilises only 60 billion cubic meters of it, according to the Ministry of Agriculture’s Comprehensive Agriculture Transformation Support Programme[1].
Policy Framework for Private Investment
Under the programme’s infrastructure development sub-programme, government has committed to investing in Public Private Partnerships for the development and management of small, medium and large-scale irrigation infrastructure, covering blended public-private financing arrangements, strengthened regulatory capacity at the Water Resources Management Authority, and formal procedures for tendering irrigation works to private, public-private or joint-venture enterprises[1]. A parallel investment area promotes private small-scale irrigation directly, covering surface water, ground water and rainwater harvesting schemes, with government committing to fund training for private investors in small-scale irrigation business models, targeted smart subsidies including one-time cost sharing of infrastructure costs, and a formal process for deciding tax exemptions on investments in small-scale irrigation improvement or maintenance[1].
Investment Opportunities
With only 7.27% of Zambia’s identified irrigation potential currently in use, the remaining 2.55 million hectares represent the scale of the undeveloped opportunity, and government has explicitly structured its own financing response around Public Private Partnerships rather than public investment alone, naming blended public-private financing, PPP tendering procedures and one-time cost-sharing subsidies as the specific instruments through which private capital can enter small, medium and large-scale irrigation schemes[1].
Last Update: September 2026
