5th May 2022, Visit to the proposed site for offices and a gold refinery along Leopards Hill road in Kabulonga, Lusaka.
Mizu Eco-Care was invited by Latitude 15 Hotel and affected Kabulonga area residents to visit the proposed site for offices and a gold refinery along Leopards Hill road in Kabulonga, Lusaka. The visit was lead by the Minister of Justice Hon. Mulambo Haimbe who is the area Member of Parliament and also a resident in the area. Also present was the area ward councillor Mr. Kosamu Tembo.
Our take away from:
There is a reason why areas are designated as residential, commercial and industrial areas. There are certain commercial and industrial scale activities that just cant be conducted in a residential areas. There are implications and consequences arising from the pollutants released into the air, water and land. There is also the issue of noise pollution for the residents near by.
It is our hope that the commercial/industrial component of the site (as evidenced by the standing infrastructure on the site) will be transferred to another appropriate location.
As a nation that that is on a path to attaining a Green Economy, development must respect certain environmental and social boundaries. It can not occur without respect for nature. The times we live in require that we attain development in an environmentally sustainable manner always.
The Agro ecology, Social Accountability and Climate Change Media Awards 2022
We would like to thank the organisers: Caritas Zambia, Pelum Zambia, Fian International Zambia, Zambia Alliance for Agroecology and Biodiversity, Zambia Climate Change Network and ActionAid of the Agroecology, Social Accountability and Climate Change (ASACC) Media Awards which were held at the NeelKenth Sarovar Hotel on the 25th of February 2022 for this recognition award. Zikomo kwambiri!
National Assembly/Parliament, Lusaka.
On Friday, 21st of January 2022, our Director Mr. Timothy Kamuzu Phiri, Mr. Isaac Mwaipopo - Exec. Director for Centre for Trade Policy and Development and Ms. Musonda Kapena - Exec. Director for Namfumu Conservation Trust appeared before the Energy, Water Development and Tourism Parliamentary Committee to make a submission on Water Resources Management in Zambia.
Talking about Forest 27
Kasanka National Park and the Human Wildlife conflict in Livingstone on Spring 24 TV
PEACEFUL ENVIRONMENTAL WALK IN SOLIDARITY WITH KASANKA NATIONAL PARK AND THE BAT MIGRATION
The way Forward after COP 26 for Zambia.
Forest 27 update
Degradation in degazetted portions of forest 27
Degazetting of portions of forest 27 paved the way for 'development', the 'development' will pave the way for degradation. Degradation will pave the way for low water tables and biodiversity loss. Before you know it your taps and boreholes will be dry and the birds will stop singing because their homes will be gone!
Unpopular opinion
"Agriculture should not be a way of life, but a business!" Dr Akinwumi Adesina popular mantra
Our response
Our response to Dr. Akinwumi Adesina' popular mantra, "Agriculture should not be a way of life, but a business!"
Dr. Adesina President of African Development Bank (AfAB). African Development Bank Group African Union,
Global African Development (GAD), SADC
The mantra "Agriculture should not be a way of life but a business!" is well-meaning and has been on a roll lately. However, it is misleading to the future and cause of Regenerative and Sustainable Agriculture. Unsustainable Agriculture is currently the number one degrader of land/soils in Africa largely because people think it a mere means to a profitable end. It is also not surprising that the saying comes from a development banker who sees everything through the prism of development! (Clearly, this is the development and not Sustainable Development!)
Agriculture must be a way of life first and then a business. If it is not a way of life but a business only then it becomes mechanical and profit-centred. Organic farming, Permaculture, Agroecology are sustainable and regenerative largely because the farmer sees himself as a part of the farm ecosystem and NOT apart of it. Overemphasis of the business component of farming at the expense of the lifestyle aspect of it eventually numbs its life component and what ends up suffering is the soil. And if the soil suffers the crops suffer. Once the crops suffer the profits disappear and the business fails! Agriculture must first be a way of life and then a business. The two aspects are complementary and should not be antagonized. Ironically, when farming is treated as a way of life its costs will reduce and its longevity as a business will be guaranteed.
Soil Is Life And Its Restoration An Art Form
Ntaka is the first independent Soil Testing and Advisory company in Zambia operated by professional soil scientists and using both state-of-the-art and traditional methods. The service seeks to bring learning and precision to the job of soil regeneration and restoration. The creator of Ntaka, Dr Benjamin Warr believes it is important to support farmers in learning about their soils so that they can improve them and secure improved yields at a lower cost. "Measurement can assist in management. The regeneration of the soil must look at the long term health of the soil and not just short term production gains". He emphasizes that to provide advice that is relevant to every farmer it is important to understand the history of cropping, the farmer's circumstances and their plans for the future.
Soils absorb and filter all the water that falls on them before it recharges the underground reserves and rivers that provide us with drinking and irrigation water. Currently, you will notice that the levels of soil degradation country-wide are reaching alarming levels as the ability of soil to filter water is compromised. The soils have become hard and clogged and they are less able to absorb and retain water. The result of this is that for part of the year we now have more runoff water than ever before, causing flash floods country-wide, and for the other part of the year the soils are rock hard and dry.
Ntaka currently has a presence and agents from Chisamba to Mazabuka and is scaling up to cover the entire country. A soil test can help identify critical production challenges. Armed with this information Ben believes that the key to solving the majority of the problems that local small scale farmers face is for them to realise that they have the solutions already in their communities.. They simply have to have confidence in the power of a communal approach to change things and make that first step in taking action. Ntaka is all about helping farmers gain the confidence they need to transition to more productive and sustainable ways of growing food.
BirdWatch Zambia Evaluation Meeting
The BirdWatch Zambia Final Project Monitoring and Evaluation Meeting
On the 26th of March 2021 our Executive Director T.K. Phiri had the honour of facilitating and chairing the BirdWatch Zambia Final Project Monitoring and Evaluation Meeting. The project named "Controlling an Invasive Aquatic Plant (Kariba Weed-Salvinia Molesta) for Improved Biodiversity and Livelihoods in Lukanga Swamp (Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) No.20)" was hosted by BirdWatch Zambia (BWZ) and attended by representatives from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Zambia Environmental Management Management Agency (ZEMA), Wildlife and Environmental Conservation Society of Zambia (WECSZ), Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Zambia Agriculture Research Institute (ZARI), National Heritage Conservation Commission (NHCC), Zambia Governance Foundation (ZGF), Department for National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW), CABI Southern Africa Centre and Central Fisheries Research Institute. Kudos to BWZ and all the supporting stakeholders for this groundbreaking initiative to save and restore the Lukanga Swamps and its rich Biodiversity.
ActionAid Zambia held a #ClimateJustice workshop for women at the Southern Sun in Lusaka on the 8th and 9th of April 2021. We were honoured to be invited and were represented at this workshop by Rabecca Mwambazi, Chimwemwe Chinami and Loveness Nakwiza Chomba. Below is an overview of the workshop with a few lessons for all of us.
An Overview of The ActionAid Zambia Climate Justice Workshop
The phrase "Climate Change" is the most talked-about today, even though many still do not know much about it.
What exactly is Climate Change?
What is the chief enabler of Climate Change? What can you personally do to alleviate this global problem?
This short article will give an overview of what I personally learnt as a Mizu Eco-Care representative from the workshop hosted by ActionAid Zambia which had the theme "Climate Justice". It will also highlight the main points I derived from the event.
Put simply, Climate Change is the change in the climate. This change normally is attributed to either natural processes such as volcanic eruptions or to anthropogenic activities. In recent times, the change in climate has been attributed to human activities.
Bringing it closer to home, Zambia, it was interesting to learn what the chief enabler of Climate Change is by Sector. According to the presentation by the representative from Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the chief sector was found to be AFOLU (Agriculture, Forestry and Land Use Change) at a staggering 93%, followed by 5% from the Energy sector, 2% from Industrial Processes and Product Use (IPPU) . Surprisingly, Waste is at 0%, in this case liquid waste.
The main point of the statistics outlined above is to illustrate the gravity of the impact that Agriculture and Land Use Change is greatly contributing to Climate Change.
Even though Zambia is generally known to be a carbon sink, the information presented also showed that forest cover in Zambia is reducing at a fast pace, especially for Agricultural purposes. This is alarming and if no slowing down of forest cover clearing is made, the results will be more catastrophic.
Catastrophic is what we are slowly seeing as evidenced by the floods that have been prevalent during the 2020/2021 rain season. Floods have affected most parts of the country, victims being the most vulnerable of Zambia's population. A disturbing fact was presented that out of 182 countries most vulnerable to Climate Change, Zambia ranks number 26.
As presented by a representative from Ministry of National Development and Planning, it was shown that a number of projects have been executed, some still ongoing to help deal with Climate Change, especially for those hard hit by its effects.Through those projects, the beneficiaries have been empowered with skills to have a sustainable way of making an income. It is commendable, because alot of communities have benefited from the projects.For example, one project mentioned was of the grass that grows in the Zambezi Sub-basin. The population living close to that special grass are able to make reed mats and baskets to name a few and out of those, make an income by selling them, especially to the International tourists. It had been noticed however, that most of the funding for these projects comes from outside the country by various organisations. That serves as an indication that priorities locally must be set straight if environmental sustainability is to be achieved.
In conclusion, the workshop did show that some effort is being made in the fight against climate change. However, this is not a one person job. Everyone has a role to play regardless of one's social and economic standing. The role begins at a personal level. It is the seemingly small things that have the most positive effect. The following were my take home points to meditate on:
1.Awareness. Learn as much as you can about Climate Change. Share the information with others. Knowledge is power.
2. Practice the 5 Rs. Yes they seem to be small but if each and everyone is able to Reduce,Reuse,Recycle, Repurpose and Refuse, the results can make a very big difference.
3. Tree planting. Remember, trees are the lungs of the earth. They are our carbon sinks. Plant a tree today. Avoid having pavements in your yards and plant trees instead. The benefits are worth it.