The Permanent Secretary of the Green Economy and Environment, Douty Chibamba, has urged members of the Zambia Children’s Climate Council to commit to implementing its actions.
The council’s creation is a milestone in the journey towards sustainable development, building resilience against climate change risks, and protecting the health, well-being, and safety of vulnerable children.
Dr. Chibamba noted that children are disproportionately impacted by climate change and underrepresented in the climate change discourse.
He cited the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) findings that children aged ten or younger will experience a nearly fourfold increase in extreme events by 2100.
Zambia has experienced climate-induced hazards like droughts, floods, and extreme temperatures, which have increased in frequency and intensity over the past few decades.
The country is recovering from a cholera outbreak and currently experiencing devastating dry spells, which have been exacerbated by climate change and the El Niño weather phenomenon.
The government has put in place frameworks to address climate change, including the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and the National Adaptation Plan.
The Ministry is also strengthening collaboration and partnership to foster children’s climate change implementation, including partnerships with Save the Children and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.
The Permanent Secretary expressed optimism about the establishment of the Zambia Children’s Climate Council, which will provide a platform for young minds to converge, share ideas, and ignite action.
He encouraged the council to strengthen implementation and complement government efforts in addressing children’s needs concerning climate change.
Executive Director of Care for Nature, Nsama Kearns, emphasized that children are capable of speaking for themselves on critical issues like climate change. Centre for Environment Justice (CEJ) Executive Director Maggie Mwape pledged her organization’s full support for the newly established council.
