THE EDITORIAL NEWS

LACK OF CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION MEASURES IN ZAMBIA COULD NEGATIVELY AFFECT GLOBAL WARMING MITIGATION EFFORTS AND STRATEGIES By Alfonso Kasongo A  research conducted by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFRI) has predicted that  Zambia might have low copper production as a result of hydro power outrages due to low water levels triggered by climate change. The research indicates that the poor copper production situation in Zambia will have the potential to adversely affect global climate change mitigation efforts and strategies.  And  it further suggests that Zambia needs serous climate change adaptation if the southern African nation is to meaningfully contribute to the global green  technology in as far as the  electrical vehicles are concerned. The research ,however, highlights that with the absence of adaptation measures,the adverse impact of climate change in Zambia has the potential to negatively affect global mitigation measures as pr...

  ZAMBIA REGISTERS FIRST EVER GREEN BOND .... a programme  that will accelerate the actualisation of country's ambitions to generate aleast 200MW of renewable energy. By Alfonso Kasongo Zambia has for the first time registered Green Bond since government's intention to broaden climate financing to bridge the finance source gap through emerging financing instruments such as green bonds and carbon credits among others. The  announcement by the Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC) PLC, a private electricity firm ,that it has registered its green bond with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) during the sidelines of the COP 28 Climate Summit in United Arab Emirates makes it the first ever green bond to be registered in the country. Since the development of Green Bond Guidelines in 2019, no green Bond was registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The registration means that CEC will now issue securities such as shares, bonds on the capital market to ...

COP28 CONCLUDES, PARTIES AGREE TO DELIVER A NEW ERA OF CLIMATE ACTION By Alfonso Kasongo Parties at the 2023 United Nations Conference Of Parties on Climate Change  (COP28) have agreed a landmark text dubbed The UAE Consensus, that sets out an ambitious climate agenda to keep 1.5°C  global within reach.  The UAE Consensus calls on Parties to transition away from fossil fuels to reach net zero, encourages them to submit economy-wide Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), includes a new specific target to triple renewables and double energy efficiency by 2030, and builds momentum towards a new architecture for climate finance. COP28 has since mobilized over $85 billion in funding for climate action, secured a historic agreement on Loss and Damage, advanced the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) and overseen breakthrough agreements on the energy transition. This has been considered as the most inclusive COP to-date, ensuring all voices could participate in the process. ...

  By Alfonso Kasongo An alliance of over 20 Civil Society Organizations championing the fight against climate change in Zambia has encouraged traditional leaders especially the  Royal Highnesses across the country to take a leading role in the carbon market and trading conversations. Zambia Climate Change Network (ZCCN) Board Chairperson Mutamba  observes that some chiefdoms have been approached by entities dealing in carbon credits business hence expressing fear that some traditional leaders may have no capacity to provide precise direction with regards to carbon market and trade. Speaking during an engagement meeting with the house of Chiefs on Carbon Market and Trading in Lusaka, Mr. Mutamba says the resources that the network is fighting to be conserved are in the custodian of the traditional leaders hence an opportunity for the network to heighten the conversations to bridge the information gaps  that exist in the carbon credit business. ZCCN Board Chairperson M...

CLIMATE CHANGE TO TRIGGER HUNGER ,OVER 28 MILLION AFRICANS IN CENTRAL, SOUTHERN REGIONS TO BE AFFECTED ...But reducing agricultural research, innovation investment gap by $15.2 Bln annually could reverse this by achieving key ambitions of the SDGs and Climate action. By Alfonso Kasongo Projections from IMPACT model Analysis using IMPACT estimates that global food production by 2050 could be 8 percentage points lower as a result of climate change, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) Research Impact analysis has highlighted. As part of this analysis, IMPACT modeling also shows that, comparing a “no further climate change” baseline with a scenario of strong emissions  growth, about 70 million more people will be at risk of hunger globally in 2050 due to climate change. However, more than 28 million people   in East and Southern Africa will be at risk of hunger in 2050 given the same scenarios, the impact analysis further disclosed. Making agriculture part of a 2°...

ZAMBIA'S CLIMATE FINANCING UTILISATION LACKS TRANSPARENCY,  ACCOUNTABILITY ...hence prone to corruption risks,posing threats against building climate change resilience, TIZ report reviews. By Alfonso Kasongo Zambia's quest to remain climate change resilient might veer off course, if gaps such as weak climate regulatory frameworks, corruption risks and lack of transparency in the management of climate financing remain unaddressed. Ànd tackling of how the country supports mitigation and adaptation to climate change remain critical to building resilience to the worst effects. Climate resilient is generally defined as successfully copying with and managing the impacts of climate change while preventing those impacts from growing worse. This year's unprecedented global temperatures and stark devastating of climate change stress the urgency requirement for Zambia and many other countries to build climate resilience, hence the need for strong regulatory framework and transparency ...

STUDY CITES  GENETIC VARIANT AS HIGH RISK FOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE IN AFRICA By Alfonso Kasongo The first genome-wide association study on Parkinson’s disease in African populations has revealed a genetic variant that increases the risk of developing the disease. Parkinson's disease,a disorder of the central nervous system that affects movement, often including tremors. Published in The Lancet Neurology, the study found a new genetic risk factor in GBA1 in people of African ancestry, which has not been seen studies on European populations. The authors say it could be a significant factor underlying Parkinson's disease in African populations.  The variant (Rs3115534-G) was found to be present in 39% of the cases assessed. In June 2022, Zambia recorded a mysterious movement disorder affecting about 27 pupils at Lunte Technical School in Lunte district of Northern. The condition appeared to be affecting the nervous system causing the patients to lose the firmness. Out of the af...