THE PLATFORM

  By Raphael Banda   B iodiversity governance   This piece of writing will start with a question. Do we have enough laws that protect biodiversity, if yes are they being implemented to pervert biodiversity loss? We may be aware that biodiversity governance concerns all laws, rules, policies, and processes that govern the management, conservation, and use of biodiversity, including mechanisms for benefit-sharing, protecting rights, safeguarding against harm, and ensuring accountability. This includes how decisions are made, power is shared, and rights and responsibilities are being enforced, these include both traditional and statutory laws. Over the years, balancing competing interests has been one of the challenges    of biodiversity governance. There is need for systems to regulate our interactions with nature on both domestic and international scene. This issue draws local and international attention because species don’t respect jurisdictional ...

By Raphael Banda (Journalism Trainer/Journalist bandaraphael55@gmail)   Journalists and other stakeholders need to increase climate change awareness to preserve food security and biodiversity loss globally.   In the recent past most parts of the world have witnessed high temperatures, prolonged dry spells and flashfloods, with Zambia not being exception. This is threatening national food security, causing immense damage to infrastructure and impacting economic activities.   A week ago , the European Union (EU) Climate Change Service disclosed that for the first time, global warming has exceeded 1.5C across an entire year. The situation calls for increased public sensitization, awareness and doubling of efforts to cut down greenhouse gas emissions to slow down the unfolding climate crisis. It is also crucial that African countries highly impacted by climate change begin to access the loss and damage fund to address their peculiar areas of concern. ...

 By Raphael Banda (Journalism Trainer/journalist) Most parts of the country have recorded the dry spell which has drastically affected mots crops that are currently wilting. Farmers have expressed worry that this will lead to the poor crop yields in this year's harvest season. With Mealie Meal the product of maize grain being the country's staple food, this situation pauses a danger to the country's food security at both household and national levels. current situation in some crop fields-Siavonga Zambia The Ministry of Green Economy and Environment released this information through the Metrological Department. AGROMETEOROLOGICAL BULLETIN HIGHLIGHTS      TIME ISSUED: 8:45 CAT   DATE ISSUED: 10TH FEBRUARY, 2024 ANALYSIS PERIOD: 21ST TO 31ST JANUARY, 2024 ⮚ Zambia records normal to below average rainfall;  ⮚ A dry spell observed between 21st and 31st January, 2024; ⮚ Soil moisture insufficient (10% to 50%) in most parts of Zambia; ⮚ ...

  The Loss of Biodiversity has continued to be a matter of public concern by many environmentally focused institutions in Zambia and across the globe. Climate Change is the number one threat to biodiversity according to the studies conducted by scientists.  Difforestation and agriculture expansion have been seen as the leading causes of difforestation in Zambia and strides are being made to fight them methodically. Thus, the training of journlsists in Biodiversty like the one orgainzed by Earth Journalism Network and Internews Netwrok Zambia recently, provides an opportunity for media practioners to have the necessary knowledge meant to prevent further biodiversty  loss. A team of Journalists and CSOs on a media tour to Rufunsa district during the training organised by Earth Journalism Network and Internews Network Zambia? (January 24th-26th 2024). Links to the stories produced during the Biodiversity Training 1.https://youtu.be/NAWfd5J2vK0 ZNBC 2.https://youtu.be/dzoQGo3...

  By Raphael Banda ZANEC Press Statement on the International Day of the Girl Child 11 th October. 2023 Zambia National Education Coalition (ZANEC) is pleased to join the rest of the world in commemorating the International Day of the Girl Child which falls on 11 th October. This international commemoration gives us the opportunity to reflect on our achievements and shortcomings in addressing the challenges that girls are facing in realizing their right to education. The theme for this year is “ Invest in Girls’ Rights: Our Leadership, Our well-being” .   Investment in girls and women spurs productivity and economic growth in any given society. Girls and women's participation in education and leadership positions is essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 in Zambia. Moreover, women and girls represent more than half of the country’s population and therefore their full participation in the economy can increase our development prospect...

  The Role of Radio in Sustainable Development. Community Radio plays a key role in Sustainable Development as it provides a platform for local voices to decide their own future. In the developing and developed world, radio gives information access by bridging the information gap. Besides, radio helps in the preservation of local customs and languages which contributes to long-term sustainable cultural heritage safeguarding. In the wake of climate change, radio promotes the sustainable practices, such as promoting environmentally sustainable agricultural and resource management approaches. Radio also promotes social cohesion as it advances community togetherness, communication, and inclusivity. On disaster response communities receive timely weather and agricultural information before and after the rainy season. In the education sector, communities and schools will learn about school feeding programmes,re-entry policy and adequate desks in schools and their challenges. ...

  Zambia: Farmers turn to gliricidia to improve soil fertility Raphael Banda   |  June 11, 2023 soil-fertility Share this: Twitter Facebook Download this story It’s a cool morning around 10 o’clock, with a clear blue sky. The wind is blowing gently and Josephine Tembo is busy inspecting her maize crops that are intercropped with a tree called  Gliricidia sepium . The 53-year-old farmer looks at the maize cobs full of smiles because she is sure she’ll have a bumper harvest. Mrs. Tembo plucks a dry maize cob from a nearby stalk and whistles a joyful tune. She continues checking moisture on the cobs to determine the right time to start harvesting. She says: “I learned about the benefits of intercropping maize with gliricidia in 2016 on Radio Breeze in Chipata, here in Zambia. I tried it the same farming season and the harvest was very good.” Mrs. Tembo is a small-scale farmer who lives in Kakumbi village in Mambwe district, about 120 kilometres from Chipata city in the ...