Public environmental awareness and participation in the regulatory enforcement mechanism is key to its’ successful application and enforcement. Society has the power to compel industry or the mines consider environmental protection in their operations. Unlike citizens in the developed world, their counterparts in the developing world such as Zambia are not as environmentally conscious, to the extent of influencing enforcement of environmental legislation.

In Zambia major impediments to public participation in environmental legislation enforcement include low levels of awareness, low literacy levels, as well as high poverty levels.

Under this sub component, civil society, which includes NGOs, CBOs, and communities, will be supported through capacity building activities to enable them participate in enforcement through more pro-active strategies in addition to the convention methods provided for in the laws such as radio and newspapers. The strategy will aim to empower local communities through training, attachments, provision of resources and tools. In addition, information relating to hazards and risks arising directly or indirectly from environmental degradation will be provided to the communities. Such information will include effects of air pollution, water pollution, and exposure to heavy metals such as lead poisoning etc and how communities can participate in remediation measures.

A network of educators and communicators will also be supported to promote a wider dissemination of information through out the country.

This sub-component has one objective with five outputs and activities as follows: