Zambia’s quest to insulate itself against the climate impasse, spurred by the authorities’ political will, is paying dividends with the Global Centre on Adaptation (GCA) setting aside about US$1 billion for adaptation and green growth-related projects.

The quest by the financing institution to assist Zambia build infrastructural capacity against the surging climate related disasters has been exemplified by the appointment of President Hakainde Hichilema to the board of the GCA, because of his exemplary advocacy for global change.

Since COP 28, President Hichilema President Hichilema has persistently sounded a clarion call urging the global community to enhance efforts on climate action.

He had during the COP28 urged conveners to accelerate practical action on mitigation, adaptation, loss and damage and climate finance in order to effectively address the problem of climate change.

Addressing the World Climate Action Summit on behalf of the African Group of Negotiators, President Hichilema regretted the laxity by most countries in harboring unprecedented record breaking temperatures that were off-track as desired under the Paris Agreement.

Nations were urged to step up the fight against the climatic catastrophe and enhance efforts to effectively deal with the causes of climate change.

countries had noted the proposed paradigm shifts in fast–tracking the energy transition and transforming climate finance to effectively address the climate challenges and avert devastating effects.

President Hichilema stated that Zambia’s vast areas of forests play a critical role in averting climate change and there is a need to ensure that communities that have nurtured these forests are involved in climate action and fairly compensated.

Africa, President Hichilema noted, had embarked on a just transition to ensure that the energy mix is drawn from renewable resources by 2023 and required more support in that resolve. Zambia’s tone to heighten mitigation and adaptation has since been escalated by the Presidential decree, prompting the CGA to join in the fight for lasting and durable solutions.

Agriculture Minister Reuben Mtolo disclosed that Zambia, like many of the other African countries and through the African Adaptation Acceleration Programme, a wing of the CGA.

This in collaboration with other lenders have helped avail the country $688 million in climate change and a further US$ 300 million in climate adaptation actions including the country’s growth opportunities projects in the next five years.

The AAAP through its CGA, the African Development Bank and other financial institutions, position climate resilience as a driver of competitiveness, innovation and investment in Africa and Zambia in particular.

A staggering US$100 billion has been set aside for Africa adaptation potential intended to create resilient jobs, protect assets and bolster long term growth in a programme planned to support over 80 adaptation investments.

The effort to insulate Africa is being undertaken in collaboration with among other partners, the World Bank, the International Fund for Agriculture (IFAD) adaptation investments (IFAD).

Over US$18 billion is planned for investment. In climate related action and benefit over 79 million with planned creation of 960,000 jobs across the continent, with the first phase almost done.

“As the first phase (2021–2025) concludes, African leaders have been called to double the ambition by climate-proofing the already available US$ 50 billion of development investments by 2030,” Minister Mtolo said Wednesday.

Speaking during the Eighth Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP) partnership forum during the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Expo being hosted in Lusaka and ends tomorrow, Minister Mtolo reaffirmed Zambia’s commitment to ensure the country was insulated and ready to finalise all NAP agendas.

He challenged African countries and others affected by climate related challenges to join hands and implement various mitigation and adaptive measures and create resilient economies by initiating and implementing various stop gap measures as climate change heightens.

“Climate change is here to stay and addressing its impact requires serious adaptive actions. “

“We work hard to implement the various adaptive and mitigation measures to ensure that we have climate-resilient economies.”