ZAMBIA is grappling with recovery from the impact of floods over the just-ended rain season, and it is still difficult to quantify the damage caused to infrastructure and food security.

Floods are one of the clearest manifestations of the impact of climate change.

As a developing country, Zambia is among countries expected to suffer the worst effects of climate change, according to recent scientific findings by the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

This is because of the country’s geographical location, already warmer climate, low adaptive capacity as well as stresses that include HIV/AIDS and poverty

The United Nations has already warned that global warming will inflict the most harm in the parts of the world that are the poorest, the least prepared - and the least responsible for causing it.

And for sure, the past few months in Zambia have clearly attested to this fact.

It is now crucial for Zambia that measures are stepped up to address the issue of climate change by involving the citizenry fully through environmental sensitisation programmes.

Despite the country being endowed with abundant natural resources, unsustainable utilisation such as over-exploitation has led to environmental problems that have directly affected the livelihood of the people.

Chilanga Youth Awake (CYA) is one organisation alive to these environmental challenges and has partnered with the Zambian Government to embark on programmes aimed at raising public awareness on environmental issues.

CYA programme coordinator Sandra Chibebe observes that despite Chilanga being close to one of Zambia’s biggest water bodies- the Kafue River- the majority of the youth are faced with numerous environmental problems such as poor access to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation.

Ms Chibebe explained that the indiscriminate cutting of trees by charcoal burners has been another huge challenge which is common among the youth.

The organisation, whose catchment area is from Linda compound to Kafue Town, acknowledges that deforestation has been viewed by a lot of youths, particularly in the rural parts, as the chief source of income hence the need to increase sensitisation and alternative livelihood training.

CYA obtains financial support from the Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources through the district environmental committee programme, a poverty reduction programme of the ministry.

“The project we have dubbed ‘Youth and Environment Community Project’ aims at empowering the youth and the community through enhanced information-sharing on the environment, skills-building and promoting income-generating activities for sustainable livelihoods,” Ms Chibebe explained.

Ignatius Makumba, a chief natural resources management officer at the Ministry of Tourism, explained that the ministry’s district environmental committee programme had the main objective of creating an enabling environment for active community participation in environmental issues by providing grants to support community micro-projects.
“The ministry recognises the need to integrate gender, youth and children’s concerns in environmental planning decisions at all levels. Therefore, both men and women including the youth should play a key role in the sustainable utilisation of Zambia’s natural resources,” Mr Makumba said.

He further stressed the Zambian Government’s concern that the poor were often most directly dependent on their natural resources base for supporting their economic livelihood.

As such, the programme seeks to minimise the potentially negative environmental impacts of human activities.
Zambia needs to attach greater importance to community participation in the management of the country’s environment and natural resources in all sectors.

It is hence gratifying to learn that the Tourism ministry welcomes, encourages and, where possible, financially supports initiatives such as the one embarked on by CYA.

These programmes have the potential of promoting sustainable management of the country’s environment and natural resources and generating income for the communities, leading to improved standards of living.

“Public awareness campaigns are very useful in raising the public understanding, interest and participation in sustainable management of the country’s environment and natural resources.

“We appreciate civil society’s efforts in contributing to the maintenance of a healthy environment for the country,” Mr Makumba said.

Ordain Nyondo Zikita is a youth who is enthusiastic about youth environment issues in Chilanga and is delighted to work as a volunteer, championing advocacy on environmental issues.

“It is sad that despite our Member of Parliament, Mr Ng’andu Magande being in charge of the nation’s purse, the majority of his constituents here in Chilanga lack access to treated and clean water. Very few have decent toilets. Most use pit latrines.

“For us it is good that the Government has a decentralisation policy in place and we hope to engage our council in dialogue to ensure that their resources are utilised to address these crucial environmental issues that have a direct bearing on the lives of the people of Chilanga,” Mr Zikita said.

He cited pollution, soil erosion, poor solid waste disposal mechanism, lack of water and sanitation as some of the crucial issues that will be tackled during the project’s implementation period.

Through the same project, the organisation will reach out to schools on an environmental awareness programme and conduct public debate and essay competitions on environmental issues.

CYA will also support the formation of environmental conservation clubs in schools that may not have such clubs, to ensure that the youth in the schools are kept abreast with environmental issues.

The Tourism ministry has developed gender mainstreaming tools for environment and natural resources to help in integrating issues of gender in the management of the country’s environment and natural resources in all sectors.

It is common knowledge that depletion of natural resources can potentially lead to food insecurity and shortage of resources such as water and wood.

Among the key livelihoods intervention programmes that CYA intends to embark on is fish farming for the youth who might be engaged in activities like charcoal burning so that they have an alternative source of earning a living.

“We will provide knowledge on community-based natural resources management among the youth and the community. We will provide health and environmental education through sports and recreation, entertainment and study tours and provide a youth-friendly environmental resource centre,” Chibebe explained.

Ms Chibebe commended Larfage Cement for embarking on the construction of a new plant which will significantly reduce air pollution in Chilanga and hoped that the company could also support community-based environmental programmes as part of the corporate social responsibility.

A number of human activities have contributed and continue to contribute to the rise in green house gas concentrations in the atmosphere, causing global warming and climate change which is associated with extreme weather such as floods and drought.

It is due to such factors that community-based environmental programmes such as the one been implemented by the CYA are worth supporting and replicating in other parts of the country.

http://www.times.co.zm/news/viewnews.cgi?category=7&id=1209372231