Zambia gears for Cop27

 

Parliamentarians on Climate Change

 

 

First Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Malungo Chisangano has called on members of Parliament to take keen interest matters of climate change in order to reduce its effects especially on vulnerable communities.

 

 

Speaking when she officiated a Climate Change lobby meeting for members of Parliament which was organized by the Civil Society for poverty reduction-CSPR in Lusaka today, Ms Chisangano said Parliament attached great importance to issues of climate change i  its work.

 

 

Ms Chisangano said the National Assembly of Zambia has over the years undertaken a number of measures to address climate beyond the confines of legislation and oversight in Parliament. 

 

 

She said the establishment of the Zambian Parliamentary Caucus on  Environment and Climate Change -ZPCECC demonstrates its resolve to address the effects of climate change at Constituency level where the majority of the people who are affected by climate change reside.

 

 

She said as Parliament take steps to ensure reduction in the negative effects of climate change, it is important for law makers to begin engaging their Constituents on the best practices that will help reduce effects of climate change.

 

She said government through the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit-DMMU has been  spending a lot of money in mitigating disasters emanating from climate change.

 

 

She said Parliamentarians should constantly engage civil society organizations such as CSPR and ensure communities are enlightened about climate change.

 

Ms Chisangano thanked CSPR for taking such a huge role in tackling climate change.

 

She called on other civil society organizations to benchmark CSPR and ensure more discussions around climate change are held in order to have more people educated and make them get involved at whichever level.

 

 

And CSPR Executive Director Faides Tembatemba said the civil society are concerned that the 2023 National budget allocation towards environmental protection is insignificant to address the climate crisis that is affecting people in various Constituencies.

 

 

She said this is why the organizations wants to engage more with members of Parliament so that the little percentage allocated can be utilized efficiently and the the benefits of especially vulnerable communities.

 

She said climate change has disturbed a lot of livelihood and food security and that it is important that everyone begins to engage in Mitigation measures.

 

Ms Tembatemba said the fight against Disaster cannot be left to Government alone but to all stakeholders beginning with the communities that gets affected.

 

 

She however pledged the Civil society commitment and continued engagements with various stakeholders in all the provinces and ensure climate change is addressed in totality. 

 

 

Earlier Zambian Parliamentary Caucus on Environment and Climate Change co-chair Twambo Mutinta said Parliamentarians are ever ready to engage with any stakeholder on matters of climate change.

 

He said this is because most of the climate change calamities do occur in Constituencies and that it is important to have such engagements regularly.

 

Story by Mathews Musukwa-DMMU Zambia.