Climate Change Mitigation and Resilience Programs
Climate change has severely hindered Zambia's socio-economic growth by devastating rain-fed agriculture, increasing food insecurity, disrupting hydropower energy supply, exacerbating health issues, damaging infrastructure, and impacting wildlife, forcing increased government spending on disaster response and threatening Vision 2030 goals, with rural communities and the vital copper industry particularly vulnerable to frequent droughts and floods.
In 2024, Climate change emerged as the most significant threat to Zambia’s socio-economic development, with El Niño-induced drought causing widespread devastation. The country grappled with severe impacts on agriculture, energy production, and food security, with climate-related losses estimated to have potentially reduced the country’s GDP by up to 6% (Zambia Statistical Agency, 2024).
Climate change caused a "slow and silent crisis" that reached a breaking point, with the 2023–2024 season marked by the worst drought in over 40 years. In 2024, President of the Republic of Zambia declared a national drought emergency, with the crisis affecting an estimated 9.8 million people (nearly half the population), including 6 million who required urgent assistance.
To respond to these emerging challenges, PriCHO engages vulnerable communities on climate change and health which is a critical, multi-sectoral priority driven by the country's high susceptibility to droughts, floods, and subsequent health crises such as cholera and malnutrition. PriCHO’s key approaches has been focusing on localizing strategies, strengthening community-led adaptation, and integrating health and environmental education to foster resilience among smallholder farmers, women, and girls.
Empowering women and girls in smart agriculture boosts food security, economic growth, and climate resilience by increasing yields, and household incomes. Empowering women and young girls also contribute to strengthening communities by improving nutrition, fostering innovation, creating jobs (processing/marketing), and ensuring more equitable, sustainable practices, leading to reduced poverty and better outcomes for children's education and health.
