VIOLET MENGO

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

ZAMBIA climate change and development ambassador Abel Musumali has called on African countries to consider restoring and rehabilitating dambo areas for increased vegetable production.

 Mr Musumali said dambo areas on the continent are under threat both by climate change and human induced activities such as cutting trees, unsustainable agricultural practices and uncontrolled abstraction of water for agriculture and household activities.

 He was speaking at the Africa Youth Conference on Climate Change that took place on Tuesday ahead of the main conference.

 This was during a plenary on African Youth responses to climate change and food security, action from frontlines: opportunities and challenges.

 He said the main purpose of restoring the dambos is to increase production for tomato and cabbage growing which will in turn improve food security and household income.

 "In Zambia, farmers especially women and youths are being trained on how to manage the dambos from further degradation in Chibombo district," Mr Musumali said.

 He said one of the mechanisms to rehabilitate and restore the dambos is through the use of organic manure, tree planting and provision of irrigation pumps for controlled water abstraction.

 Mr Musumali said Zambia is also exploring the public private partnership (PPP) initiative and joint ventures of farmers and private companies in the protection of dambos and growing of good agricultural products.

 He said they are also being trained on value addition and having access to the market.

 He encouraged delegates to venture into the restoration of sensitive ecosystems such as dambos, swamps and streams that are guided by research in order to make an informed decision at community and national level.

 Close to 500 delegates comprising African negotiators on climate change, experts and  researchers  have gathered here for a three-day climate change deliberations that will culminate in the continent coming up with a common voice to the UN climate change summit taking place in Paris this December.

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CCDA5 opens in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

October 28, 2015

VIOLET MENGO

Victoria Fall, Zimbabwe

 

THE fifth African climate change and development conference opened yesterday with a call for the continent to demand a fair, just and binding treaty at the conference of parties (COP) taking place in Paris this December.

 

Economic Commission for Africa Director in charge of special initiative division Fatima Denton said Africa should demand a treaty abetted by a means of implementation that will align Africa’s commitment to development priorities.

 

Dr Denton said the priorities for Africa includes among others the Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDCs) that will support ambitions towards energy efficiency, agricultural transformation and demand financial commitments.

 

“In Paris, we demand that the sacred principle of common but differentiated responsibility be given a central place, but whilst we revive this principle, we must also use it to remind ourselves that the job is not done until we take our rightful place in our effort to curb emissions, irrespective of our levels of culpability,” Dr Denton said.

 

She said the meeting is about Africa’s collective security for today and tomorrow.

 

“The urgent agenda now, is to figure out how fast we can run to repair and respond to the critical cascading challenges ranging from alarming rate of degradation of water resources, soils, food systems, land, trees and forests that we rely on to sustain ourselves,” she said.

 

Dr Denton said Africa is keen to be a strong participant and contributor to a successful outcome in Paris.

 

The conference is being held under the theme dubbed: Africa, climate change and sustainable development: What is at stake at Paris and beyond.

Africa Development Bank representative Mary Monyau said the Bank has stepped up its support for African countries to build resilient to the impact of climate change.

 

“Between 2011 and 2014, the bank spent nearly US$7 billion towards climate finance in Africa,” she said.

 

Ms Monyau said the bank will step up climate finance by 40 percent to US$5 billion per year by 2020.

 

She said the investment will be delivered within the framework of five priority areas that build on the bank strategy for 2013 to 2022.

 

And Zimbabwe Vice president who officially opened the conference said Zambia and Zimbabwe are grappling with power deficit due to low water levels necessitated by low water levels in the water bodies.

 

He appealed to delegates to represent Africa effectively at COP21.

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VIOLET MENGO

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

 

ZAMBIA’s ambassador to Zimbabwe Ng’ona Mwelwa Chibesakunda says crop diversification which government has embarked on remains key to Zambia’s food security amid climate change challenges.

 

Mr Chibesakunda said in an interview here that with diversification, it is unlikely for the country to experience food insecurity as there will be abundance of different crops to sustain people.

 

He said Zambia has been fortunate in the region to receive enough rainfall in some parts of the country that has helped the country to stock enough maize and export some.

 

“For Zimbabwe as you are aware for two years now, the country has had very little rainfall as a result very little maize has been grown, but Zambia has been luck that one part of the country had enough rain and produced a lot of maize which we are now exporting to some countries like Zimbabwe,” Mr Chibesakunda said.

 

The ambassador said conference like the climate change taking place here are very important for Africa because they help to address critical challenges such the shortage of rainfall in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Tanzania, Mozambique and Botswana.

 

He said it is from such gathering that solutions to difficulties countries are facing are found as ideas are floated by delegates that offer solution and hope.

 

“In some parts of Zambia where we do not have enough rainfall, conferences like this will help by coming up with ideas of what type of crops to grow. It gives us time to reflect on whether to continue growing maize which requires a lot of rainfall or switch to other types of crops,” he said.

 

Mr Chibesakunda said with diversification, the nutrition status of the people is improved and enhanced.

 

He said nutrition is mainly concerned with what type of food to grow. “If for example we depend on maize, surely we can also grow other crops that are drought resistant like sorghum and millet.”

He said crops like cassava and millet do not need long period of rain can also be encouraged to enhance people’s nutrition.

 

Mr Chibesakunda said he is impressed with the attendance of Zambian experts at the conference because it the experts that advises government on most critical pertaining to the development of the country.

 

And the ambassador said Zambians living in Zimbabwe are happy with government coming up with the diaspora policy.

Zambia's ambassador to Zimbabwe, third from right with the Zambian delegation members at the climate  change and development conference that took place from 28th to 31 October 2015
 

 

He said many Zambians have expressed interest in returning to Zambia to help develop the country following government’s call to Zambian living in diaspora to take part in the development.

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