Engage communities in climate change interventions, NGOs urge govt

By JOHN KOMBE

GOVERNMENT should fully engage communities in climate change interven- tions, Climate change ad- vocacy Non-Governmental Organisations have said.

Voices for Just Climate Action (VCA), Zambia coun- try engagement manager, William Banda made the ob- servation during a one-day traditional leadership, wom- en and other stakeholders from government and the local authorities engage- ment workshop in Chongwe. The event was organised by a Netherlands organisation, Hivos in collaboration with Keepers Zambia Foundation and Entertainment Health Foundation.

Mr Banda said that environ- mental protection was not just a government responsibility, but a community concern and stressed the importance of en- gaging the communities in this regard.

Mr Banda said that unless the voice of the community was heard climate interven- tions would not yield much.

He therefore urged the com- munities to create local-based solutions that it must com- municate to the government for support. He said that the government had created a ministry of Green Economy and Environment and as such communities must use the ministry to air their concerns and have their voices heard.

He said that local communi- ties had locally-bred solutions that can help enhance the fight against the negative effects of climate change. He stressed that communities must not relent in communicating their suggestions on the best solutions to the ills of climate change.

And Keepers Zambia Foundation Executive Director, Ezra Banda observed that climate change was every community’s problem and as such needed a multisectoral approach in finding solutions.