Zambia has underscored her commitment to biodiversity conservation, land management and fighting climate change, aimed at improving the socio-economic wellbeing of the people.
According to a statement issued to the media, President Hakainde Hichilema says the conservation of biodiversity that constitutes natural capital, is critical to ensuring that Zambia achieves its aspirations of a green economy, as well as attainment of socio-economic development for all.
In remarks delivered on his behalf by Minister of Green Economy and Environment, Collins Nzovu during a Commonwealth side-event held under the theme “Commonwealth Call for Living Lands”, at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland yesterday, President Hichilema observed that Zambia is endowed with abundant fauna and flora, hence her resolve to take biodiversity conservation very seriously.
“I wish to share with you my government’s determination to ensure that the green economy, which entails low carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive approach, drives the economic transformation and recovery that we so desperately need,” he said.
The President added that to achieve Zambia’s aspirations, his administration created a dedicated Ministry of Green Economy and Environment, which galvanises functions on the country’s forests, climate change, meteorology biosafety and environmental protection in general.
He explained that bringing interrelated and critical functions in one single ministry will promote a development path that considers natural capital as a critical economic asset and a source of benefit, especially for poor people whose livelihoods depend on natural resources.
President Hichilema further said the re-alignments of portfolio functions is expected to enhance green investments that spur renewable energy and resource efficiency, prevention of the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services.
“However, we are constrained to achieve most of these targets in time due to inadequate financial resources, making it difficult for us to make our fair contribution to global efforts, in addressing these multiple challenges,” he told the meeting.
He added that “it is equally important that our actions on biodiversity conservation, land management and fighting climate change result in improved socio-economic impacts on people’s livelihoods and our nations”.
President Hichilema has meanwhile, disclosed that Zambia was currently engaged with the global community in formulating a new post-2020 global biodiversity framework and was expectant it would soon be achieved.
Zambia has domesticated the Aichi Targets on Biodiversity, and has been implementing the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan of 2015 with a view to contribute to the attainment of the Convention on Biological Diversity and foster economic development.
The COP26 summit has brought Heads of State and Government and other parties together to accelerate action towards the attainment of Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Commitment to biodiversity conservation, land management and fighting climate change should not be narrowly seen as being about improving the socio-economic wellbeing of the people. It is first and foremost about the health of the natural environment and then about our well-being. Loss of biodiversity is what has be cited to be responsible for Covid-19. Bats are host to over 70% of viruses. Loss of biodiversity spells a death knell to fauna that lives off bats and helps in controlling pathogens bats spread. Consequently, bats are brought closer to humans leading to the spread of disease to them through domestic animals.
We can’t have such pronouncements while a reserve forest 27 is being turned onto a housing development for the elite and mukula trees are being decimated ……..
Not forgetting plans to open mining in a game park………
Sir instead of briefing us about your trip please come and appoint the rest of the functionaries please raze forest 27 give them alternative land if need be they are destroying the natural fauna and fora…its a water catchment centre that KK left virgin for years..resort order destroy the roads they have made and bring sanity….the police are failing in their duties to protect citizens…also the parastatal chiefs are are an issue….sort it out..the ambassadors and high commissioners…PS…all those are not in place but you deem it fir to travel?
STOP THE MINE IN LOWER ZAMBEZI
STOP DEFORESTATION
RESTRICT CHARCOAL
STOP ZAMBEEF BEING THE LARGEST BUYER OF CHARCOAL IN ZAMBIA
We are not foooooools …It is easier for Zambian politicians to go and read a speech about how committed they are to climate change when they dont have the Industries and manufacturing plants like China and India….on top of that Developing countries are committing £70 billion over the next 20 -30 years to helping developing countries like Zambia with Climate Change programmes. If you are truly committed HH7 reverse the Gazzette on constructing in Forest 27, NRDC aquifer, stop the mining in Lower Zambezi NP…you opposed these whilst in opposition what has changed?
WE SHOULD NOT BLINDLY FOLLOW COP 26 RESOLUTIONS. IF FOR EXAMPLE WE BAN CHARCOAL BURNING TO PRESERVE FORESTS HOW WILL THE CHARCOAL BURNERS LIVE?
THE PRICE OF CHARCOAL WILL ALSO SKY ROCKET AND THE POOR WILL SUFFER AS THEY CAN’T AFFORD ZESCO TARRIFFS.
Zambia first – you should think outside the box , yes COP 26 is not a fit for all countries, but global warming is real and to say we must continue to chop trees to give jobs to charcoal burners,. why not produce solar cookers, or taking saw dust/woodchips and compressing into bricks for burning, or lpg for cooking just remove the high excise and customs duties. employ these guys to plant trees, remember it takes 27 trees to make 1 bag of charcoal. convert Zambia to solar power , we have plenty of sun.
HOW WILL CHARCOAL BURNERS LIVE ???
DIVERSIFY DIVERSIFY …….
YOU CANT HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT
Are you surprised at the pronouncements? Then you don’t know a politician. A politician has two mouths one for the things he can do and another one just to please the situation. Zambia can’t do away with charcoal burners unless a proper solution is found which benefit both the charcoal burners and the environment.
Charcoal burners ONLY exist because there is a market for the commodity. And why is there a market? Because people are being hampered by loadshedding or can’t afford a Zesco connection. I also use charcoal, because my kids expect a meal at night. But the entire landscape is BARREN as all trees have been cutdown. And later this year everyone is complaining about the drought, but no connection is made with the tree cutting!
Unless we act now the indications are that a large part of Southern province might turn into a desert in a few years and I haven’t seen any commitment from government to address this despite the signs being very visible. We used to watch nice species of birds around Lusitu, Sikoongo up to Siavonga areas but they’ve all disappeared. The weather pattern continues to deteriorate especially in the valley and this has made the province less productive. Instead of vigorously acting on politically motivated projects like Forest 27, we have a whole province in crisis and no one says anything. What happened to Jean Kapata’s bamboo planting project? I urge Bally to visit this area to see for himself immediately he returns
Make it mandatory for charcoal burners to plant a tree for each tree cut. Employ Europeans as Ba Kapenda Mabula. We seem to respect Europeans.
#11 Deja Vu, charcoal burning isn’t amongst the top destroyers of the environment especially forests. In the top 10 bracket there’s agriculture (especially commercial farming), mining, construction, etc. So you may be targeting a wrong culprit