Southern Africa holds second beating famine conference in Lilongwe

23.0.15 

By Maybin Augustine Katungulu

A Southern Africa regional ‘Beating Famine’ conference is to be held in Lilongwe, Malawi between 14^th and 17 April 2015.

 The conference will highlight how widespread land degradation in the face of climate change could affect food security in the region.

According to the announcement on the beating famine website the conference aims to showcase key agricultural and land management practices, such as agroforestry and conservation agro-forestry that can address degradation in Southern Africa.

In all eight out of the ten countries constituting Southern Africa region most people live in rural areas and depend on subsistence agriculture for their livelihoods.

But today agriculture in the region has been threatened by land degradation caused mostly by soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, overgrazing, uncontrolled burning and improper cultivation.

Now, Governments and other stake holders such as civil society organisations have identified the need to conserve land and reverse degradation to restore its productivity and improve the quality of life for people that depend on it for their livelihood.

In the same vein, World Vision, World Agroforestry Centre and other partners are organizing a beating famine conference in Lilongwe, Malawi between 14^th and 17^th April 2015 under the theme “Sustainable Food Security through Land Regeneration in a Changing Climate

A check on the beating famine website indicates that the four days conference will highlight how widespread land degradation in the face of climate change could affect food security in the Southern Africa region.

The Malawi conference is a follow-up to the highly successful 2012 Beating Famine Conference held in Nairobi, Kenya which catalyzed a range of actions and collaborations across East Africa to address food security, resilience and livelihood issues and opportunities.

GURU JOURNALIST URGUES ZAMBIAN MEDIA TO PRIORITISE CLIMATE CHANGE

20.03.2015

By Maybin Augustine Katungulu

 

A Senior Journalist has called on the media in Zambia to prioritise climate change in its editorial policy.

Edem Djokotoe who has been practicing journalism for the past over 30 years explains that journalist should realize that climate change is affecting agriculture which is mainly rain fed.

Mr. Djokotoe adds that the situation has the potential to cause severe hunger in the country hence the need for the media to educate communities so as to adapt and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.

Meanwhile Mr. Djokotoe has noted that the world at large is in trouble due to climate change such as unpredictable rainfall pattern and floods.

He explains to Desire Media Concepts that this situation justifies the importance for journalists to report on issues related to the change in the weather pattern.

Mr.  Djokotoe is of the view that the situation has the potential to cause severe hunger in Africa and specifically in the Eastern and Southern regions.

Apparently, most journalists in Zambia have shown little interest in reporting on issues to do with climate change and the environment at large.

The development has been mainly attributed to lack of interest and lack of understanding by reporters on issues related to changing of the climate.

Climate Change funds not reaching local communities-Oxfam-Zambia

 11.03.2015

Oxfam Zambia says funds reaching local communities to address climate change are not enough.

Oxfam livelihoods project officer Mutinta Nketani explains that countries that are mostly responsible for greenhouse emissions are not giving enough for communities to adapt to the changing of the climate.

Ms. Nketani adds that the insufficient funds are not enabling   communities affected by climate change to continue depending on their livelihood

Maybin Augustine Katungulu reports in Zambia recent findings indicate that 25 million United States Dollars had been approved through multilateral public climate funds for the country.

For instance, much higher amount of funding has been pledged  towards the Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience (PPCR).

“ Even the funds that are coming from the people that are mainly responsible for green -house gas emissions are not giving enough to allow communities that are been affected to adapt or to build resilience to be able to continue, depending on their livelihood”, explains Ms Nketani.

Meanwhile Eastern and Southern Africa Small Scale Farmers Forum is of the view that communities, mostly by climate change should be engaged in tracking funds met adaptation or resilience.

Country coordinator Simon Mwamba has since urged civil society organizations in Zambia to raise awareness among the communities on climate change projects and funding.

Certainly, there should be levels of accountability and transparent in the application of climate change funds, recognizing that both local and international resources have increased towards climate change adaptation programmes.

However, this can only happen with the involvement of local communities in the utilization of climate change related resources.

FEMALE FARMER PRACTICES CONSERVATION FARMING TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE

By Maybin Katungulu

A female in Mumbwa District of Zambia practices Conservation Farming  to adapt and mitigate the impact of climate change

A female farmer in Mumbwa District of Zambia adopts conversation farming in order to cope with climate change related effects.

Mrs. Mary Sakala explains to Desire Media Concepts that she is practicing conservation farming because of the unpredictable rainfall pattern is currently experiencing.

Farming is the major source of income and food security for house-holds in rural parts of Zambia and many other countries in Africa.

Now, climate change effects such as unpredictable rainfall is been seen as a threat on farming.

But Mrs. Mary Sakala, a farmer in Mumbwa District of Zambia has adopted conversation farming so as to address the impact of climate change

Mrs. Sakala who is also a board secretary for Eastern and Southern Africa Farmers Forum tells this report that farmers should not only complain about the negative effects of climate change instead seek for knowledge which will help them live with the current situation.

She has since called on government to increase information among the farming communities on the effects of climate change.

Mrs. Sakala explains  to DMC that  raising awareness will enable farmers adapt and mitigate the impact of climate change

In Zambia the negative effects of climate change such as droughts and floods are imminent.

Therefore, it is essential for government and other stake holders to work together in increasing awareness in the change of the weather pattern.