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.

 Ends