AGRICULTURAL MIGRATIONS CAUSING RISKS TO RAINY REGIONS
AGRICULTURE Climate Action Foundation executive director Dr. Oliver Bulaya says the shifting weather patterns that are affecting crop production and compelled farmers to migrate to regions with more favorable weather conditions poses a significant risk to all rainfall regions.
Dr. Bulaya says freedom of movement and association are cherished as a nation, thereby adding that it is crucial to reflect on the factors that have channeled a severe impact of climate change on regions that once thrived, such as the southern part among others.
He says one primary factor of the predicament being experienced is the indiscriminate cutting down of trees for farming purposes and the burning of fossils among other detrimental practices.
Dr. Bulaya states that such practices have a damaging impact on the environment and intensified the repercussion of climate change, there by emphasizing on the need to thoroughly examine such issues and work towards finding solutions.
He says it is important to reflect on past actions and mistakes so as not to repeat them in other regions, in that the fate of the agriculture sector and wellbeing of farmers rest in the hands of the people.
Dr. Bulaya says it is imperative for Zambians to recognize that the solutions to addressing the climatic shocks are in reach, stating that it is important for people to actively engage in sustainable farming practices that promote environmental preservation and resilience.
He has since called on relevant authorities such as the traditional setting, ministry of agriculture, climate smart agriculture organizations and others relevant in this aspect to provide counsel to farmers that are moving from such regions with poor rainfall to regions with favorable rainfall conditions, and urges all stakeholders, to join hands in implementing environmentally conscious practices that will safeguard the agricultural sector for future generations.