Sunday, August 10, 2014

Zambia, three others discuss climate fund
Zambia, three others discuss climate fund
By VIOLET MENGO
FOUR countries, including Zambia, are meeting in Lusaka to prepare for the handling of climate financial resources from developed countries through the Green Climate Fund (GCF).
GCF is a new finance mechanism established by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The meeting, which is an inaugural African climate finance readiness leadership and shared programme, is aimed at preparing African countries bid and access new funds at international level.
Associate Professor at the University of Cape Town Richard Calland said in an interview that the purpose of the meeting is to bring together senior public service officials and give them an opportunity to share knowledge and learn from one another.
“This is a strategic leadership meeting with the support of a faculty of experts based at Cape Town University which runs an organisation called the African Climate Finance Hub,” Prof Calland said.
He said a small group of experts has been convened to work with public service leaders in the four countries and to help them think through the best ways of preparing themselves to access the funds.
Professor Calland said when countries invest in roads and other new infrastructure, they should be climate smart to prevent that investment from going to waste.
Prof Calland said it is hoped that GCF will become a major financer for adaption projects that will allow countries to adapt their economies to be more climate resilient and to ensure that their economic development pathways are not disturbed by the threat that is posed by climate change.
And the Zambia Interim Inter-Ministerial Climate Change Secretariat Co-ordinator David Kaluba said Zambia has already provided leadership to the climate finance readiness programme being implemented by Germany.
Mr Kaluba said in the initial development, the country played a very active role in shaping the development of the programmme.

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