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Understanding Climate Mitigation and Adaptation in Zambia

 



Understanding Climate Mitigation and Adaptation in Zambia

By Raphael Banda.

Over the years, we have been hearing words like climate adaptation and mitigation, but have these terminologies played any role in the fight against climate change in Zambia or elsewhere in Africa?

By definition , climate adaptation means the process of adjusting to the effects of climate change and climate mitigation means decarbonization or an  action to limit the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that cause climate change.

These terminologies play a huge role in the quest to embrace climate resilience. I (as an environmental journalist and media trainer) feel that these terminologies have not helped very much to fight climate change effects here in Zambia.

Writers ,advocates and  journalists must use such terminologies when addressing policy makers or making presentations at high level meetings like the forth coming COP 29 for possible policy shift. But for a common man or community action, they is urgent need to change the focus.

What I vibrantly hope can help are the following recommendations:

Ø  Instead of preaching words like resilience we must simplify the language into, for example planting crops that are drought resistant such as cassava, millet and others.

Ø  Change the language from scientific jargons into different dialects understood in several communities for them to easily understand and domesticate.

Ø  Use the images to showcase/picture  the effects of climate change its hash effects on their daily livelihoods.

Ø  There is need for Governments and environmentally focused organizations to use radio formats such as  dramas to explicitly explain the challenges of climate change and possible solutions.

Ø  And there is an opportunity to use social media handles to spread the messages on climate change which has caused the high cost of living and doing business.

For more information and collaboration reach out to me on bandaraphael55@gmail.com

Till next time thank you for reading.

 

 


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  1. Ebrony MumbaNovember 6, 2024 at 1:57 AM

    What a touching story we surely need to work together to curb climate change and as media we should try our best to disseminate information to the general public so that we preserve biodiversity

    ReplyDelete

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