Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Zambia faces climate setback

AllAfrica.com via the Times of Zambia: Zambia will lose about US$4.3 billion in the next 10 years due to climate change effects in the agriculture sector if no remedial action is taken, Secretary to the Treasury Fredson Yamba has said. Mr Yamba said the projected loss in the next decade was approximately 0.4 per cent of Zambia's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

He said over the last 30 years, the country had lost an estimated US$13.8 billion to climate change in the agriculture sector due to floods, drought and extreme heat. Mr Yamba was speaking in Livingstone yesterday at the meeting of pilot countries under the Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience (PPCR).

The meeting, which has attracted several delegates from various parts of the world, is intended to provide an opportunity for countries to prepare a pragmatic approach in implementation of PPCR strategic programmes.

The PPCR is part of the Strategic Climate Fund (SCF) within the Climate Investment Funds (CIFs), whose overall objective is to provide incentives for scaled-up action in national development planning consistent with poverty reduction and sustainable development goals.

Mr Yamba said without interventions, climate change threatened food security and livelihoods of particularly the poor and rural communities as their financial ability to adapt to changes were limited....

Grain silos with total capacity to store over 100 tonnes of grain at Nampamba farm Mpongwe, Zambia, shot by Maxdrobot

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