Zambia mobilising resources and consensus to combat Climate Change, a modern-day challenge to development

By MacPherson Mukuka

Climate Change has continued to top the list of priorities among many Governments across the World.

This probably due to its adverse effects it is likely to pose on the development agendas of most Nations.

However,  most countries have intensified their programmes for climate change resilience.

Zambia is not an exception.

And Government says climate change is a developmental challenge and the country is taking all necessary actions to minimise further environmental degradations and ramifications on the economy and national development.

Ministry of National Development Planning Permanent Secretary (Development Planning and Administration) Mr. Chola Chabala was speaking when he officially opened the national consultative stakeholder meeting on setting up the National Climate Change Fund (NCCF) in Livingstone on Monday 18 June,  2018.

He emphasised the Government's commitment to mobilise resources to help combat Climate Change and its impact on the economy.

"Zambia has in the past experienced adverse impacts of climate change including climate variability, extreme weather events and other systematic climate changes over the last several decades," he said. "Droughts and floods have increased in frequency and intensity over the last two decades and this has adversely impacted on food and water security, energy availability and general livelihoods of our communities."

The Permanent Secretary said one of the key measures the Government has taken was the formulation of the National Policy on Climate Change of 2016, which provides a framework for coordination and implementation of climate change measures.

He called for consented efforts and innovation to mobilise sufficient resources for climate change mitigation and adaptation, in order to effectively implement programmes on climate change contained in the Seventh National Development Plan (7NDP).

"In 2017, Government took the necessary step to establish a catalytic National Climate Change Fund (NCCF). The main objective of the NCCF is to  raise revenue from both public and domestic sources at national and international level to fund climate change programmes and projects," Mr. Chabala explained. "Amongst other objectives, the Fund is to enable Zambia: Tap into new and innovative sources of finance for mitigation and adaptation projects; build national capacity to utilize opportunities presented by international financial mechanisms; increase access to finance for green projects in the country; facilitate appropriate technology transfers into the country for accelerated economic growth and development while achieving a sustainable low carbon development path; accelerate energy access through sustainable renewable energy technologies and solutions; and generate employment opportunities created by implementation of new economic activities through green projects."

The Permanent Secretary called for consensus on the establishment of a national climate fund.

And Zambia National Designated Authority (NDA) for the Green Climate Fund National Co-ordinator Mr. Mainga Luwabelwa said Climate Change impact was multi-dimensional as it affects all sectors of national and human development.

Mr. Luwabelwa explained that the GCF funds projects that promote paradigm shift towards low emission and climate resilient development pathways.

HIVOS, LUSAKA CITY COUNCIL PONDERS ON SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES

By MacPherson Mukuka_ Lusaka

 The United Nations projects that more than 75 percent of the World’s Population will be living in cities by 2050.

This projection means that cities will have to use and generate more waste unlike before.

This also suggests that cities with poor solid waste management will struggle more because of the huge quantities of waste generated by that time.

  

To this effect, organisations and local authorities in Zambia are already making plans on how to tackle challenges of solid waste.

Hivos Southern Africa Hub has developed a solid waste collection mechanism dubbed Waste Lab in partnership with Lusaka City Council with particular emphasis on making Lusaka city sustainable and better.

This is in line with Sustainable Development Goal number 11 which aims at making cities better, safe and resilience for all to live in.

And Hivos Southern Africa Hub says poor waste management has emerged as one of the biggest challenges facing Lusaka city authorities and other stakeholders trying to address the issue.

Speaking during that launch of a two day workshop on solid waste management under a project dubbed Waste Lab, HIVOS Regional Director TANJA LUBBERS says only a small fraction of the waste generated daily is collected and safely disposed or recycled into other useful items.

Ms. LUBBERS said the situation has been exacerbated by inadequate financial capacity and insufficient implementation of policy direction relating to waste management in Lusaka.

She said through the waste lab project, Hivos seeks to identify possible intervention points from the concerted efforts of all stakeholders to maximize its ability of focusing on priority issues in the waste management sector in Lusaka.

Ms. LUBBERS said the project is aimed at addressing integrated solid waste management issues through supporting front-runners, social entrepreneurship and support to multi actor initiatives.  

She added that the project will also focus at influencing waste management policies and support private public partnership integrated waste management.

Ms. LUBBERS said Hivos is aware that so many tireless efforts by you all have been put into resolving the waste management problem in Lusaka and we do not claim to come with the silver bullet that will resolve the problem.

She however, said Hivos is confident that its efforts will continue to build on what each stakeholder has already began to do and looks forward to opportunities that will arise and enable the organisation to work closely in alleviating this important issue in the community of Lusaka.

And Lusaka City Council Deputy Mayor CHILANDO CHITANGALA said solid waste has remained one of the biggest challenges facing Lusaka City.

The Deputy Mayor who was represented by Kapwepwe Ward 25 Councillor PATRICK SALUBUSA said the challenge is among the causes of cholera and other diseases.

She said Lusaka City Council is gratified to partner with Hivos in bringing sanity to Lusaka.

Ms. CHITANGALA has noted that most institutions operating as NGOs have decided to work in isolation without engaging the local authority.

She said it is LCC’s desire to engage with every institution dealing in solid waste to avoid duplication of efforts.

The Deputy Mayor said there is need for stakeholders to aim at creating more awareness among Lusaka residents on the importance of good solid waste management.

Ms. CHITANGALA has since urged stakeholders attending the workshop to look at solid waste challenges and bring out solutions that will help make Lusaka City Clean, green and healthy.

The Workshop comes two weeks after Zambian President EDGAR LUNGU re-launched the make Zambia clean, green and healthy campaign.