The University of Zambia Dean in the school of Humanities and Social Sciences Felix Masiye has said leaders should respond to climate change in the country.
Professor Masiye said the green conversation should be explored and amplified to keep the leadership on climate transformation alive.
Speaking during the official opening of a 3 days virtual Zambia Climate Leadership Transformation Summit, Professor Masiye said UNZA has continued to play an important role in shaping the climate change conversation.
“As a University, we are completely aligned to the urgent need to diversify the voices and participation, especially of youth and women in the climate change conversation, he said.
And Prof. Masiye noted that the COVID-19 pandemic is a reminder that people have little control of the future hence the need to demand that everyone must be involved in the conversation.
The Summit is a partnership between UNZA and the Africa Leadership Transformation (ALT) Foundation with support from partners from Australia, New Zealand and USA in the actualization of a virtual meeting.
And Prof. Masiye said that through the partnership UNZA has been able to develop leadership capacity and the training of four faculty members to become instructors of the leadership course.
Meanwhile, Africa Leadership Transformational Foundation (ALT) Executive Director Daniel Kamanga has urged participants and various partners to focus on intentions to strongly engage in climate change.
“This summit is about intentions; how we can relate, think about, engage with the climate transformation. The intention should be a future of shared commitment to climate transformation that works for everyone,” he noted.
Mr Kamanga passionately called on the need to involve voices of youths and women and farmers on the ground.
The Director said the summit is committed to provide opportunities for knowledge sharing on the narratives surrounding climate change restoration within the Zambian context.
“We also need to create capacity to build leaders within Zambia who are able to go to the outskirts and train people in climate change,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources Director- Climate Change and Natural Resources Ephraim Shitima disclosed that the government is in the process of formulating the climate change bill.
Mr Shitima said the bill aims to provide a legal framework for effective implementation of climate change programmes in the country.
He noted that the government’s commitment is evident through enactment of the National Policy on Climate change which promotes climate resilient adaptive practices, smart agriculture and many other programmes.
I agree entirely. The message is not reaching villagers. I think we need films that will help villagers understand this important message. The problem is countrywide.
The easiest way to drum this message across is through a medium were 90 % of the population participates …….that is our primary education.
Atleast 90% of Zambians pass through primary school , introduce an environmental awareness subject to teach our people about garbage disposal and collection , water pollution , importance of preserving our natural resources.
Within a few years you will notice the benifits in cleanliness, preserving tress in Zambia.