The motivating factor for the residents of Lukanga is slowly giving way to days of anguish and pain. Despite the Lukanga Swamps being one of the most famous places because of the abundance of fish, the area has become a shadow of itself. The dilapidated Zambia Consumer Buying Corporation (ZCBC) building once a famous chain store tells a story of the lost glory.
The area has become a production of problems, or challenges starting from the road network, the Mobile Network connectivity where residents only access phone network from 22:00hrs to 10:00hrs on a daily basis. This has been accepted by the residents as an abnormal normal.
“We only use our phones from 22: 00 hours to 10:00hrs every day due to non availability of the network. We are now used to this suffering.” John Chinyama a youth from Lukanga Swamps said.
The area which once was very famous due to its abundance of fish and the many people that visited the area is now a shell of itself. Climate Change has a toll on the residents. Poverty is visible among residents especially children who visibly look undernourished.
A Community School in Lukanga providing primary education to more than 400 children.
On the impact of climate change, the water levels in the Swamps has drastically reduced leading to the scarcity of fish.
Lukanga Swamps is the fifth largest wetlands in Zambia covering an area of 2600 KM2 and support a population of 6.1 million Zambians through the provision of fish, agricultural produce, livestock grazing fuel wood and charcoal production.
The wetland is situated in Central Zambia, between latitudes 14o08’S and 14o40’S and longitudes 27o10’E and 20o05’E at an altitude of 1,090 m above sea level.
“Fish is difficult to catch in the Lukanga Swamps nowdays because of Climate Change. Climate Change is affecting the poor more than the rich people.” Chris Mwewa a fisherman said.
In the absence of fish, most of the people tried to adapt to farming. They started growing maize, cassava and vegetables. But fate being what it is, the drought affected the farmers more such that all their yields dried up. The resident of the Lukanga has remained with nothing to live for.
The adaptive strategies of the community against the climate change impacts involve a combination of indigenous knowledge, local initiatives, collaboration with external organizations and the integration of contemporary approaches to enhance resilience and adaptability to the changing climate conditions in the area.
Their resilience to Climate Change, led to the women from Lukanga Swamps to form a women’s support group as a way of supporting each other in the times of climate crisis. One of their activities being implemented by the women is a communal gardening and manure production. Predominantly the area has a lot of domesticated animals such as cows and goats. The women are going through villages collecting cow and goat dungs which they are using to produce manure.
Lukanga Women in their garden
Lukanga Women’s Club constructing a grass fence to protect their vegetables from domesticated animals.
Part of the manure is being sold to residents while other manure is used in their gardens. The women using this initiative is receiving recognition from the communities in coming up with a local solution.
“We have started supporting our women by buying vegetables from them.” One resident said.
The efforts by the women of Lukanga is in solidarity with COP 29 whose theme is Solidarity with a green world. The women of Lukanga are making their world green through manure production and vegetable growing. Proudly at communal level, they are contributing to COP 29 objectives. Cop 29 is being held in Azerbaijan.
Presenting a keynote speech, Azerbaijan president Ilham Aliyev hails oil and gas in his country as ‘gift from God’. The president of Azerbaijan, who is hosting climate summit COP29, has hailed oil and gas as “a gift from God” as he lambasted Western media and climate activists.
President Ilham Aliyev kicked off the conference with a wide-ranging, critical speech in which he hit out at those opposed to his country’s oil and gas industries.
President Ilham Aliyev
In his keynote address at COP29, where nearly 200 nations are negotiating global action on climate change, president Aliyev described his country as a victim of a “well-orchestrated campaign of slander and blackmail”.
Within moments, UN secretary general Antonio Guterres took to the stage to say that doubling down on fossil fuels was an absurd strategy.
But president Aliyev said: “As a president of COP29 of course, we will be a strong advocate for green transition, and we are doing it. But at the same time, we must be realistic.”
Referencing gas and oil resources, he added: “Countries should not be blamed for having them, and should not be blamed for bringing these resources to the market, because the market needs them. The people need them.”
The Azerbaijan government relies on fossil fuels for 60% of its budget and 90% of exports.
Zambia is being represented at COP 29 by the Minister of Green Economy and Environment Mr. Mike Mposha, whose mandate among others would be to advocate for more climate finance to community members who are mostly impacted by climate change.
For once, let COP 29 be action oriented where the impacts of the meeting can trickle down to residents of Lukanga Swamps who are impacted more by Climate Change. COP 29 started on 11th November 2024 and is likely to end on 22nd November 2024.
Felix Kunda Ph.D is a Lecturer in Journalim and Public Relations at ZAMCOM.
