Awareness

By Angela Kanyembo Some farmers in North Western province lost crops due toflooding in the last farming season. More flooding has beenreported across Zambia as climate change threatens lives, food security and world economies. Climate change is the strong change in temperature and weather patterns. It has affected food security as floods destroy crops. This will affect children more than adults. In an interview, Chovwe Ward Councilor Kelvin Nkolomba ofKalumbila District said one of the solutions to protect food security was to reduce depending on the same type of crops as sources of food. He said in Chovwe area, community leaders are talking tofarmers to diversify on crops to increase food choices. “At least there are some crops that have been introduced. We are talking of diversification. We are going round to ensure that we should not only depend on one crop that we have been used to because the weather has been changing,” he said. Mr. Nkolomba said it was possible that if people were prepared to look at more crops then food security can be protected. “There is a lot of encouragement regarding diversifying in terms of farming. We have realized that our environment has been tempered with by ourselves. As we have been cutting trees, burning charcoal but to mention a few which has caused negative effects to ourenvironment. At least, we have been engaging communities to ensurehow best we can work together to ensure that we mitigate inenvironment impact,” said Mr. Nkolomba. He said North Western might see more effects of climate changebecause of uncontrolled cutting of trees and mining activities.

By Faith Chibwe Climate change is one of the most pressing global issues of our time, with far-reaching impacts on ecosystems and human societies. While climate change affects people all over the world, those living in rural areas are particularly vulnerable due to their dependence on natural resources for their livelihoods. Climate change has significant social impacts on people living in rural areas. One of the most significant impacts is on food security, as changes in weather patterns and extreme weather events can lead to crop failures and food shortages. This can result in malnutrition, hunger, and even starvation, particularly in areas where people rely on subsistence agriculture for their livelihoods. Climate change can also exacerbate existing social inequalities, as those who are already marginalized or disadvantaged are often the most vulnerable to its impacts. For example, women and children are often disproportionately affected by climate change, as they are more likely to be involved in subsistence agriculture and have fewer resources to cope with its impacts. Furthermore, climate change also has significant economic impacts on people living in rural areas. Changes in weather patterns can lead to reduced crop yields, which can have a devastating impact on the livelihoods of small-scale farmers. This can lead to poverty, unemployment, and migration to urban areas in search of work. Additionally, extreme weather patterns such as floods and droughts can also have a significant economic impact on rural communities. Floods can destroy crops and infrastructure, while droughts can lead to water shortages and the loss of livestock. These impacts can result in significant economic losses for rural communities, particularly those that are already marginalized or disadvantaged. Climate change also has significant environmental impacts on rural areas. Changes in weather patterns can lead to changes in ecosystems, which can have a significant impact on biodiversity and the health of ecosystems. This can have a cascading effect on other aspects of the environment, such as water quality and soil health. Extreme weather events such as floods and droughts can also have a significant impact on the environment. Floods can lead to soil erosion and the loss of topsoil, while droughts can lead to desertification and the loss of vegetation. These impacts can have a significant impact on the health of ecosystems and the ability of rural communities to rely on natural resources for their livelihoods. Climate change has significant impacts on people living in rural areas, with social, economic, and environmental impacts that are far-reaching and severe. Addressing these impacts will require a concerted effort from all stakeholders, including governments, civil society, and the private sector. By implementing policies that prioritize the interests of rural communities, such as investing in climateresilient infrastructure and supporting small-scale farmers, we can begin to address the root causes of climate change and build a more equitable and sustainable future for all.

By Malumbo Chima Charcoal burning is a major contributing factor to climate change in Zambia. This problem is now becoming worse in Lundazi District as most of the areas in Lundazi district more especially in Senior ChiefMwase and Chief Kapichila’s areas have bear lands as a result of charcoal burning which leads to deforestation. Charcoal is the most reliable source of energy for cooking for most of Lundazi residents and Zambians. Several areas inLundazi is not connected to the national electricity grid makingmost of the homes rely on charcoal as a major source of energyfor cooking. The situation is becoming more rampant as most forest areas are cut to support this activity. In addition, the prices of charcoal are also another contributing factor that is persuading most people to engage in burning charcoal thereby contributing to the impact of climate change such as dry spells, delay of rains and droughts and also poor crop yields which in turn affects the welfare and livelihood of children. This is because their right to survival and development is put at risk in times of hunger, floods and droughts of which children’s face the worst challenges in their lifetime. It is also sad to note that charcoal prices are increasing in the district. For instance, the price for a 50kg bag of charcoal which was recently costing K70.00 just barely two months ago is now fetched at K150.00. This is a worrying situation because this predicament willencourage other members of the community to venture in thisindustry as result the natural diversity and biodiversity of thenatural environment will no longer be in existence due to theattractive price of charcoal. Furthermore, this will make future generations find themselves ina more disastrous and miserable society to live in such anenvironment without tree supporting various life activities suchas medicines, fruits and furniture products etc. In order to stop this vice, people should realize that climatechange affect everyone in society which implies that allstakeholders and policymakers, need to join hands in protectingthe environment from the adverse effects. There is need to raiseawareness on the negative impacts of climate change andreporting cases of deforestation activities happening incommunities to ensure the special protection of tree species inthe district and the province at large. From the above scenario, it is clear to say that the communityshould adopt new methods of energy use for cooking whichwould not contribute to the adverse effects of climate change. Moreover, coming to light both the perpetrators of charcoalburning it is so interesting and touching to note the rise incharcoal prices in Lundazi, through the indiscriminate cuttingdown of trees. This also lowers the water levels at thehydroelectricity power stations which in turn contributes toelectricity load shedding. This that that the human communityhas failed both themselves and the natural environment as thereis no sustainable energy use to support human life interms ofCooking and industrial energy use. For example, companies cut down trees to create industrial areasand industrial areas also requires electricity to run of whichcompanies by cutting down trees already caused a climate changeimpact which will reduce the water levels at the Hydro electricitypower generation station. Communities should work together to find a more sustainableenergy use that would not contribute to the impact of climate change. The community shouldadopt new methods ofenergy use for cookingwhich would notcontribute to the adverseeffects of climate change