PLANT A TREE TO MITIGATE ADVERSE CLIMATE CHANGE

 

PRESIDENT HH URGES CITIZENS TO PLANT TREES IN ORDER TO MITIGATE ADVERSE CLIMATE CHANGE  as World Vision Zambia and Pepsico,plant 1,500 tress

                      

  In order to address the effects of climate change there is need to address the damage of emissions to avert the effects of climate change on the environment,’ Republican President Hakainde Hichilema has noted.

Speaking to Journalists after visiting Huangyangjie a historic site in the Jinggang Mountains in China, President Hichilema said it is important to gain knowledge on planting trees as it can be positive on the environment.

He said by planting trees, Zambia can help avert challenges of climate change.

President Hichilema has commended organisations,NGOs and other partners who have come on board to address the damage of emissions to avert the effects of climate change on the environment.

Meanwhile Speaker of the National Assembly of Zambia, Rt. Hon. Nelly B K Mutti, MP has urged Members of Parliament to act on climate change issues. She said this during a tree planting exercise and a combined tour of Chawama, Matero and Mandevu Parliamentary Constituency Offices on Monday, 3rd October, 2022.

Speaker Mutti urged the Members of Parliament of the three Constituencies she visited to plant trees in each of their constituencies as one of the measures to mitigate against the impact of climate change at constituency level.

“This exercise answers to the calls of the 144th Inter-Parliamentary Union and Related Meetings held in March, 2022 in Bali, Indonesia,where Parliaments were tasked with the mandate to work towards prioritizing and building consensus on issues that affect conservation, natural resources management and climate change”, she said.

And World vision Zambia in partnership Varun Beverages, a subsidiary of Pepsico and the Zambian Government through the Department of Forestry join forces to combat the effects of Climate Change by planting 1,000 indigenous and 500 fruit trees at five schools in Chongwe district.The tree planting exercise is under the Greener Community Campaign, which is aimed at ending deforestation and reducing climate change by planting trees covering one million hectares of land in Zambia by the year 2030.

Speaking at the planting event recently held at Twikatane Primary School in Chongwe, Varun Managing Director Vibhay Chauhan, said Pepsi aims at positively impacting the environment by reducing the carbon footprint.  

                                                  

   “As a way of giving back to the community, we decided to part with World Vision Zambia to contribute towards the fight against Climate Change that is adversely impacting the lives of the most vulnerable communities, especially children,” said Mr. Chauhan.

He committed that Pepsico would continue to engage in such initiatives of planting trees and giving back to the community to improve the well-being of children.“We believe the five schools (Mulika, Nyabombwe, Twikatane, Chilyabale, and Musolokeni Primary Schools) are a starting point as we plan to scale-up the initiative to various parts of the country. This is the beginning of a good partnership with World Vision and our hope is that it will continue for the foreseeable future,” said the Varun Managing Director.

 And World Vision Zambia Resource Acquisition and Communications Director Jason Befus called for urgent action to protect the land and curb climate change.“There is a need to stop deforestation and help the vulnerable children, preserving of our natural resources will not only benefit us but also the generation that is to come,” said Mr. Befus. “We need for partners to come onboard for us to combine efforts towards the fight against climate change.” He further stated that World Vision Zambia, working hand in hand with its partners achieves greater and long-lasting impact that leads to children’s well-being. “This initiative will trigger the development of a culture of planting trees and preserving trees for commercial purposes, home use, climate resilience and help children and the communities begin to understand and appreciate the value of trees within their surroundings as this practice leads to well-being of children,” said Mr. Befus.

The Traditional Leaders’ representative commended World Vision Zambia and Pepsico for bringing the tree planting initiative to Chongwe.

According to the 2009 figures, Zambia has the second highest per-capita deforestation rate in Africa and the fifth highest in the world. The main direct drivers of deforestation are charcoal production, agricultural and human settlement expansion, and illegal exploitation of timber. The report aims to help change this situation by informing policy decisions on forest management and the implementation of activities under its national REDD+ process.

The report finds that cost-effective ways of conserving and sustainably managing forests should be implemented to support growth consistent with the green economy, defined by UNEP as 'an economy that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks'.

Ways to reduce deforestation and forest degradation include strengthening and enhancing the management and governance of forests at local levels, introducing measures to reduce urban demand for charcoal, enhancing livelihoods and income generating activities that support or rely upon forest conservation and maintenance, and increasing the sustainability and efficiency of agricultural practices.

Chongwe District is having a high rate in the cutting down of trees, as people cut trees for charcoal and settlement, a practice that has negatively impacted the ecosystem, leading to increased incidence of both drought and floods.World Vision Zambia is supporting the Government of Zambia in the regeneration and regreening agenda, using the Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration model.