Zambia’s Lungu Addresses Climate Change Crisis

Having recently returned from the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Zambia’s President Edgar Lungu seems to be putting climate change at the top of his government’s agenda.

Speaking at the launch of the winter maize harvest by Zambeef PLC in Singazongwe in the Southern Province, Lungu said that he would welcome support from all sides of the political spectrum, regardless of tribe, societal standing or political affiliation.

He explained how “[t]he effects of climate change have dealt a blow on the province.  Last time I was in the province, I visited Kazungula district as part of my regular monitoring of the distribution of government food relief under the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU).  Efforts by DMMU have helped to cushion the impact of hunger that many families are faced with”.

He further explained how the attention that the issue of climate change had received on the largest world stage underscored the importance of the problem at hand.

Africa, as a continent, is a carbon sink, meaning it absorbs more carbon than it emits back into the atmosphere.

This status carries with it potentially catastrophic consequences, and the effects are already being felt by Zambia, but most notably it’s Southern Province.

According to the United Nations Development Programme, a rise in global temperatures has led to far more frequent and severe seasonal droughts in the Southern African state.