USE NATURE TO TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE …by restoring ecosystems
ZAMBIA has been experiencing adverse impacts of climate change including an increase in frequency and severity of seasonal droughts.
This trend has continued to affect livelihoods especially agriculture because most of the population are small-scale farmers who depend on rainfed crops.
This is, however, against the background where Zambia is endowed with massive water bodies in form of river and lakes. The country boasts of having one of the biggest rivers on the continent such as the Zambezi, Luapula, Kafue and Luangwa.
While the lakes include Kariba, Bangweulu, Mweru and Tanganyika. These waters are mainly used for fishing and power generation in the case of the Zambezi River.
Despite having all these huge masses of water bodies, Zambia’s agriculture sector continues to suffer as most farmers rely on rain fed farming.
Zambia has a relatively abundant supply of surface water and groundwater. However, surface water is unevenly distributed throughout the country, and the southern region often experiences water shortages.
During drought periods and following declines in rainfall, there have been reductions in the flow and volume of rivers, streams, and lakes, which have affected the accessibility and availability of surface water and groundwater for drinking, agriculture, livestock rearing, other human activities, and fisheries.
Reduced access and availability of water resources also impact hydroelectric power in Zambia. With rising temperatures, the rate of evapotranspiration the transfer of water from the earth’s surface into the atmosphere can increase.
Non-climate stresses affecting water resources include pollution from mining, industries, and households; inadequate sanitation facilities, particularly in cities; and increased demand for water sources for household, agricultural, and industrial areas.
Climate variability has already begun to affect health in Zambia, and climate change, particularly warmer temperatures, droughts, and floods, is likely to directly and indirectly exacerbate current impacts.
Climate-sensitive diseases that have persistently increased deaths and sickness rates in urban and rural Zambia include malaria, diarrhoea, cholera, and respiratory infections, with malaria having the highest rate of incidence.
Non-climate stresses, such as inadequate health care facilities and providers, high poverty levels, poor water supply and sanitation, food insecurity, and poor nutrition, exacerbate the impacts of climate change on public health.
Zambia’s high rate of HIV/ AIDS places further strain on individual health and livelihoods, the provision of public health services, and food demand, as the disease raises the nutritional requirements of those affected, increasing the need for food, even as climate change impacts increase pressure on crop yields and livestock.
Zambia identifies agriculture, food security, fisheries, water, forestry, wildlife, health, mining, tourism, human settlements, and physical infrastructure as priority sectors for adaptation based on their economic vulnerability and national development priorities.
Identified priority projects in the adaption of the country to climate change includes improving the Zambia Meteorology Department’s early warning system to facilitate timely dissemination of weather information so as to enhance preparedness.
Promoting better land and critical habitat management and diversifying crops and livestock to improve nutrition and food security are other identified areas that needs to be implemented towards climate change adaptation process.
Other areas are promoting alternative sources of livelihood to reduce vulnerability to climate change and vulnerability as well as enhancing water management to withstand erratic rains through water harvesting, water conservation, and small-scale irrigation.
There is also need for Zambia’s adaptation planning efforts to increase technical capacity at all levels of the government to conduct adaptation planning; promoting adoption of adaptation efforts among line ministries.
These investments will allow for greater understanding of country-specific vulnerabilities. They will also provide increased capacity to assess sector-specific as well as sub-regional vulnerabilities necessary to support better prioritisation of adaptation resources.
There is need to use nature to adapt to climate change to restore the damaged ecosystems.
Wetlands and forests reduce the negative impacts of climate change on local communities by absorbing excess rainwater into the ground during floods and providing sources of water during droughts.
Restoring these ecosystems, while choosing climate-resilient plant and crop species for long-term sustainability will significantly improve livelihoods.
Together, forest and wetland ecosystems provide a range of valuable goods and services to surrounding rural communities and the environment hence the need to restore them.
The Lukanga and Bangweulu wetlands are both listed as wetlands of “international importance” under the Ramsar Convention, and they are two of the country’s key hotspots for fisheries, which makes them crucial for economic development.
Despite their importance, wetland and forest ecosystems in Zambia are currently experiencing large-scale deforestation and degradation, therefore, they need to be protected
.The author is a communication expert specialised in Agriculture, Environment and Public Health Journalism.