Govt reiterates urgent need to implement national adaptation plan on climate change

Government has said that there was an urgent need to ensure that the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) was implemented.

Ministry of Green Economy and Environment Principal Climate Change Officer for Adaption, Kasanda Bunda, said when successfully implemented, the NAP would significantly build the country’s resilience to the impacts of climate change.

Bunda said this during the awareness creation and information sharing event on planning and implementation of adaptation actions in Mumbwa District on Saturday.

He stated that the government through the Ministry launched the National Adaptation Plan on November, 14, 2023.

“The NAP provides medium and long term adaptation priorities to address Climate Change in the nine climate sensitive sectors namely Agriculture, Energy, Forestry, Water, Health, infrastructure, Wilidlife, Tourism and Mining as well as adapation actions for for all provinces in the country,” Bunda said.

He stressed that with the NAP in place, what was critical and urgent now was to ensure implementation on the ground, hence the need for collaboration from all stakeholders.

“The NAP process is expected to end this December 2023 and with the completion and submission, Zambia has been added to the 16 countries in Africa that have completed their NAPs,” Bunda emphasized.

He said this was a milestone for Zambia in addressing climte change adaptation.

Bunda, however, stated that in order to implement these adaptation actions, there was need to first of all integrate these actions in the Local Development Plans – the Integrated Development Plans.

Mumbwa District Commissioner Namukulo Hayumbu said Mumbwa had not been spared by the impacts of climate change.

Hayumbu said the district had been very vulnerable to floods and droughts and the frequency and that intensity of these climate change events was increasing.

“Nearly every year we are witnessing floods that are causing serious damage to our infrastrcuture such as the Chiwena bridge that was damaged early this year. We also had Kandesha Dam that burst in the recent past due to heavy rains resulting into widespread flooding that damaged housing properties and claimed human lives,” she said.

Hayumbu expressed happiness that Mumbwa recently developed its integrated development plan that was yet to be approved.

WARNING! All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.