Three million smallholder farmers are expected to benefit from the US $137 million through support for risks associated to climate change from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) this year.

Minister of Agriculture Michael Katambo said the UNDP project supports Government’s efforts of enhancing resilience of vulnerable populations in rural areas. During the launch of the UNDP initiative titled ‘Strengthening Climate Resilience of Agricultural Livelihoods in Agro-Ecological Regions I and II in Zambia (SCRALA)’, Mr Katambo said in a statement on Friday that the project will be implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture. “Women and youths who are reliant on agriculture will benefit from the project through scaled up use of tailor-made weather advisories to inform decision making by the farming community.

“Government anticipates reaching over three million indirect beneficiaries through the project,” Mr Katambo said. The project will be rolled out in 16 districts within designated agro-economic regions namely Mambwe, Nyimba, Chongwe, Luangwa, Chirundu and Rufunsa. Others are Chama, Mafinga, Kazungula, Siavonga, Gwembe, Namwala, Shangombo, Senanga, Sesheke, and Mulobezi. UNDP Zambia officer in charge Sergio Valdini said agriculture is a critical source of livelihoods and contributor to the national economy.

Mr Valdini said the programme will continue to partner with Government, the private sector, and civil society groups at national and community level to tackle the impacts of climate variability in the agriculture sector. “If climate change is not addressed, we risk losing the gains that have been made on the economic front,” he said. Minister of National Development Planning Alexander Chiteme, who co-launched the project, said that the SCRALA project promotes a paradigm shift by taking a comprehensive approach to addressing the entire value chain.

Mr Chiteme said the project also provides the initial trigger for poor and vulnerable farmers to shift on to a resilient trajectory for agricultural livelihoods. The UNDP-led initiative is a seven-year project that will give emphasis on capacity building across the sectors and strata, from the national to the community level.