The Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) has embarked on a pilot programme aimed at reducing carbon emissions in order to mitigate climate change in Vubwi district in Eastern province.
The programme is being undertaken with the support of US$32.8 million World Bank funded Zambia Integrated Forest Landscape Project (ZFILP).
ZEMA Principal Inspector of Climate Change, Lilian Kalenge, said the project employs advanced data collection technologies that will assist the agency with real time information on the reduction or increase of carbon emissions in the atmosphere of a certain area.
“The background to this is that ZEMA, with support from ZFILP, is developing systems to improve collection of information that enables us to do measuring, reporting and verification of greenhouse gasses,” Ms. Kalenge said.
She explained that using smart inspectorate tablet devices which are equipped with questionnaire forms, the agency will be able to collect information from farmers that will help them to tailor mechanisms of intervention.
She said in an effort to support the agenda of the new initiative, the collaborating sectors will seek to involve stakeholders under agriculture, forestry, livestock departments and other land users because of their direct linkage to the predominant activities in Eastern province.
Ms. Kalenge has since welcomed the initiative which in the long run will help in alleviating poverty following increased crop yield as a result of lowered carbon emission that has an effect rainfall.
She explained that Zambia also stands to gain from carbon credits due to the initiative.
Meanwhile, Vubwi Acting District Commissioner Mustard Phiri said the project would also help equip people in the area with the much needed information on preserving natural resources.
“There is an information gap. Our people don’t really know much about the need to preserve their trees. They don’t really understand the devastating effects of climate change,” he said.
And a farmer, Cosmas Zulu, who attended a trial of the data collection exercise, also applauded the project, declaring that it would help increase his crop yields.
“This was insightful especially on climate change and its effects on our yields. For example, the rains have dwindled over the years and it delays because of climate change resulting in a spiraling down of our yields,” Mr. Zulu said.
Besides Vubwi district, the project is expected to be piloted in Lundazi, Mambwe, Petauke and Chipata districts.
In the recent past, Zambia has experienced notable adverse impacts of climate change which has seen an influx in droughts, occasional dry spells, and unbearable temperatures and also change in the rainfall pattern.
Vubwi and not Lusaka or Kitwe?
ZEMA is another time waster. Instead of going to gallivant in Vubwi why don’t they help stop Somalians from blending used oil and Jet-A1 to petrol and diesel as they’re damaging our vehicles. When ERB grade filling stations they must also take samples of fuel for lab analysis. Has ZEMA cared to find out how used oils collected from mines are disposed?