Is the pollution ongoing or the result of past activities?
Some of the pollution in these places is referred to as “legacy,” where the pollution is from a source that is no longer operating, while others are “active,” where the source of pollution is ongoing. One example of a legacy site is Kabwe, Zambia, a former lead mine. The site was once a government-owned operation but now belongs to a private company that no longer has an active presence. As one of the world’s poorest countries, Zambia has few resources to finance the clean up. Fortunately, in this case Blacksmith Institute has been able to leverage funds from the World Bank. The Bank has allocated an initial $40 million for immediate interventions and for education in the Copperbelt region that includes Kabwe.
