State to beef up early warning systems
By BUUMBA CHIMBULU GOVERNMENT will strengthen early warning systems to help farmers prevent and mitigate against climate related hazards such as floods and prolonged dry spell, says Transport and Communications Minister, Brian Mushimba.
Eng. Mushimba observed that warning the population in advance of an impending or likely damaging event through an early warning system was one way of helping to mitigate the impact of these climate related shocks.
“This is why my Ministry is working with development partners such the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to strengthen the early warning systems. “As Government we are mainstreaming climate change adaptation into the country’s development plans and strategies,
“This will largely be done through improving national capacities of Meteorological Department under the Ministry of Transport and Communications to observe, generate and disseminate climate information,” Eng. Mushimba said.
Eng. Mushimba indicated that Government also developed the National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA), highlight Zambian communities are vulnerable to climatic hazards, which precipitate widespread crop failure, negatively impact food and water security and, ultimately, affect the sustainability of rural livelihoods.
He said promoting the agriculture sector was one of the government’s priorities to diversify the economy and move it away from its over-reliance on its traditional products and export, such as copper.
Eng. Mushimba, however, said without investing in the capacity to generate information, especially the monitoring and forecasting of climate-related hazards, early warning systems will never function as optimally as it could.
“We are addressing these vulnerabilities through the Seventh National Development Pan (7NDP) which is an integrated development approach the under theme “Accelerating Development Efforts Towards the Vision 2030 without leaving anyone behind,” he said.
He explained that Government through this plan seeks to enhance decentralised climate information services for early warning and long-term projections on the effects of climate change to support sustainable management of the production systems, infrastructure development and public health.