The reality of climate change as one of the major environmental issues in Zambia can be traced as far back as 2007 when the National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) was developed to the recent enactment of the National Policy on Climate Change (NPCC) in 2016. The development of such important guiding documents is a sign that we need more investment in appropriate climate-smart actions.
The Wildlife and Environmental Conservation Society of Zambia has been implementing the Smart Climate Action Zambia (SCAZ) project as a climate change mitigation and livelihood improvement measure. We realise that there is a critical need to prove the practicality and/or feasibility of actions that can make a positive social-economic change. In this project, we believe that once community members observe the reality of utilizing skills related to climate change mitigation and adaptation, they will be inspired to engage in actions at their level and in their own backyards.
The SCAZ project goal is to promote and demonstrate climate-smart actions to school going-children in Zambia and inspire community participation in climate resilience efforts.
The project objectives include:
- To raise awareness about climate change mitigation and adaptation amongst school-going children in Zambia.
- To build the capacity of school-going children in practical climate-smart techniques i.e Cocoon tree planting technology and Conservation Agriculture.
- To establish a platform for practical climate-smart engagements in schools i.e Demonstration plot for Conservation Agriculture.
- To contribute to climate change mitigation efforts and practically understand carbon sequestration by trees.
”This climate-smart farming method is very helpful… I also taught my grandmother.”
– Wilson Nkhoma (The Kamwala Secondary School)
A pilot project was successfully carried out at The Kawmala Secondary School in Lusaka and the results are very promising. We are anxious to scale up the approach to as many schools as possible, more especially in the rural areas and marginalized communities that are the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.