By Chinoyi Chipulu
Minister of Green Economy and Environment Mike Mposha has called on the National Designated Authority (NDA) to intensify its efforts in mobilising funds to help Zambians mitigate and adapt to impacts of climate change.
The NDA, under the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment (MGEE), plays a pivotal role in coordinating and facilitating access to international climate finance and ensures that resources are effectively channeled towards projects that aid Zambians in mitigating and adapting to climate change impacts.
According to a statement released by MGEE communications unit, during a familiarisation tour of the NDA offices in Lusaka, Mposha emphasized the importance of using clear, sustainable, and attractive projects to secure funding from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and Adaptation Fund (AF) through single-country projects to achieve maximum impact.
The minister, who was this month elected as a Vice-President of the Seventh Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly, urged the NDA to increase support for small-scale farmers in various communities to help them mitigate and adapt to changing climatic conditions.
He stated that support to small-scale farmers enabled them to significantly contribute to the country’s food basket.
“Small-scale farmers have the potential to cultivate diverse crops once empowered with irrigation equipment and supported in their farming initiatives,” he stated
Mposha stated this would allow them to plant various crops for sale in different markets, including exports to neighbouring countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
“NDA should be ready to get on the ground to address the challenges that small-scale farmers are facing, especially during this drought period, to help them adapt to the impacts of climate change,” Mposha stated
“I would like to commend NDA for the work it has done so far under the SCRALA [Strengthening Climate Resilience of Agricultural Livelihoods in Agro-Ecological Regions I and II in Zambia] project, where communities have been empowered with different alternative livelihood ventures, equipping them for different seasons.”
And NDA national coordinator, Billy Katontoka, assured Mposha that the NDA was committed to contributing to the country’s development, particularly through its engagement with the Green Climate Fund and Adaptation Fund.
Katontoka stated that the NDA would continue to effectively and efficiently coordinate all climate change programming and financing in Zambia, ensuring that these projects aligned with the nation’s development priorities.
