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Climate Financing and loss and damage payments are a timely solution.

 

Climate Financing and loss and damage payments are a timely solution.

By Raphel Banda

Considering the forth coming 29th Conference of Parties in Baku from Nov 11th  to 22nd 2024, discussions around climate financing and loss and damage payments should take centre stage if we are to address adverse effects of climate change.

Delegates from both blue and green zones and the over 500 accredited media houses should advocate for more funding towards climate change fight especially by countries in the global south such as Zambia.

Despite the scarce funds currently available for adaptation, some Parties to the UNFCCC have suggested prioritization between eligible countries based on their vulnerability to climate change and to develop a vulnerability index for doing so. Iam alive to the fact that Article 4.4 of the Convention commits developed countries to assist developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change in meeting costs of adaptation to those adverse effects.

Though this may raise the question as to what it means to be particularly vulnerable and how it is decided which countries fall into this category, Zambia, however, stands in position to benefit from climate financing due to several factors.

87 districts in Zambia have been affected by drought because of the effects of climate change and almost all sectors of the economy have not been spared.

For example, the agriculture sector, which is one of the key sectors of the economy, faces severe effects which have resulted in high cost of staple food (mealie meal) and feed stocks. This means both the fisheries and livestock subsectors have not been spared by the drought.

More also, resilience in climate change faces a challenge. The 2024/2025 farming season is here, unfortunately small-scale farmers who are major contributors to the country’s food basket are grappling with food as they are currently surviving on government’s timely interventions (cash for work, relief food and social cash transfer).

Though not recommended, farmers who cannot afford certified seeds normally depend on recycled seeds from the previous farming seasons, sadly, they were robbed of the opportunity to stock any seeds for this farming season due to the prolonged drought. Where will they access the seed  this season for us to have bumper harvest next year?

Thus, all delegates going to COP29 should advocate for climate financing and loss and damage payments to Zambia to expedite resilience. Parties that will be in both blue and green zone should work out ways of advocating for funding to climate change fight messages using different media platforms both on and offline.

Ends ; bandaraphael55@gmail.com

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