(DAILY MAIL) Thandiwe speaks out on climate change

Thandiwe speaks out on climate change
By TEDDY KUYELA

FIRST Lady Thandiwe Banda has called for concerted efforts among stakeholders in mitigating the effects of climate change in the country. And Mrs Banda has called on youths to be more responsible about the environment. Mrs Banda said there is urgent need to put in place measures aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change in the country.

She said climate change has become a serious threat to sustainable development and the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) relating to addressing hunger and poverty.

Mrs Banda said this when she officiated at the Zambian Children’s Climate Conference 2010 held at Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka yesterday.

She said Government has recognised climate change as a challenge towards the attainment of set targets in the Fifth National Development Plan (FNDP), MDGs and the Vision 2030.

Mrs Banda said effective interventions should therefore be put in place to address the effects of climate change.

“Climate change affects regions differently and for Zambia its impact includes increased intensity and frequency of floods and droughts, declining agricultural productivity, reduced hydropower potential and spread of vector diseases such as malaria,” she said.

Mrs Banda said Zambia has already started experiencing the worst effects of climate change as evidenced from the increased flooding and droughts in some parts of the country which resulted in damage of crops, infrastructure such as roads and bridges and displacement of people from their homes and loss of belongings and livelihood.

She said if the effects of climate change are not mitigated urgently, they can reverse the gains that the country has recorded in the various sectors of the economy and the efforts to reduce poverty and hunger in the country.

“Climate change is a global challenge which can only be resolved through concerted global efforts, but we still need to do more as a country to ensure that we protect Zambia from the worst effects of climate change,” Mrs Banda said.

And Mrs Banda has called on youths to be more responsible about the environment.

She said youths must play a pivotal role of complementing Government efforts of sensitising communities about the dangers of climate change and how the effects can be mitigated.

“Youths have a major role to play in efforts aimed at addressing the effects of climate change.
We need to sensitise the communities on the dangers of the indiscriminate cutting down of trees and charcoal burning as well as the need to protect the environment. So youths should play an effective role in protecting the environment,” Mrs Banda said.

And UNICEF country representative Lotta Sylwander called on Government to spearhead the development of the climate response strategy, policy and legal framework.

Ms Sylwander said Government must facilitate the development of the climate communication strategy and initiate its implementation as well as work out other effective modalities that will help reduce the impacts of climate change on development in Zambia.