. Chikwanda

By BRIAN HATYOKA –
FINANCE Minister Alexander Chikwanda has called for a holistic and well collaborated global actions to fight climate change as persistent changes to the climate have potential to hamper poverty reduction efforts.
Mr Chikwanda said actions should be holistic and include addressing climate change effects on the current generation in a well collaborated manner.
He said climate change had long ceased to be a speculative matter as it impacted at macro level and that it was visible and quantifiable.
“In Zambia, for instance, the ramification of climate change has been the lowering of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate from 7.8 per cent to around five per cent.
“The implications of this decline will undoubtedly culminate in reduced Government expenditure and, if this persists, it may hamper our poverty reduction efforts,” he said.
Mr Chikwanda was speaking at Royal Livingstone Hotel on Monday night during the official opening of the high level Green Climate Fund (GCF) working dinner.
Several delegates across the globe are currently attending the 11th Board Meeting of the GCF in Livingstone and the gathering is being held in Africa and Zambia in particular for the first time.
GCF is a fund within the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), founded as a mechanism to assist developing countries in adaptation and mitigation practices to counter climate change.
Mr Chikwanda said the 11th Board Meeting of the GCF was important in that the meeting was taking place in Southern Africa region, which, like many other parts of the world, was grappling with adverse effects of climate change albeit with challenging means of mitigation.
The meeting also came a few weeks before the Paris conference when the international community would enter into an agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
Further, the GCF Board meeting would also consider and possibly approve the first projects worth about US$ 168 million since the creation of the Fund against the backdrop of insignificant, if not non-disbursement of resources for the creation of the fund.
Mr Chikwanda said the fall in the hydro power generation capacity in Zambia was mainly attributed to poor rainfall patterns.
He urged all delegates to remain focused, diligent and visionary as global partners if they were to be successful in their mission of mitigating climate change.
Gabriel Quijandria, who is a co-chairperson representing Leased Developed Countries (LDCs) countries and Vice Minister for Environment in Peru, said representatives of the global community had joined hands to combat climate change.