Author: Vanny Kasajhi, Greenlead Zambia Country Representative

Climate Change and Agriculture

The rains continue to pose threats to agricultural activities in Zambia despite the rainy season just beginning. A tomato farmer in the Central Province of Zambia experienced chaos in his tomato field due to catastrophic strong storms and winds accompanied by heavy rainfall.

Challenges Faced

The winds and heavy rainfall caused significant negative impacts on the farm of this tomato farmer to the extent that his farm looked cleared like a football field. The tomato branches were ruthlessly damaged, leading to the loss of all tomatoes as they were only beginning to mature. This was due to a lack of sufficient and efficient advanced knowledge on how to effectively, efficiently, and sustainably implement Climate Smart Agriculture Technologies ADAPTATION strategies.

Community Initiatives and Responses

The incident was captured and reported to different media handles, encouraging local community people to pay attention and learn from civil society organizations doing outreach programs on Climate Smart Agriculture Technologies and Climate Change awareness campaigns to be able to adapt to changes.

Positive Developments and Solutions

The catastrophic event has opened the eyes of several farmers in the country, and this significantly symbolizes the power of collaborative effort to fight and adapt to climate change. International and local organizations, government departments, and civil organizations dedicated to sharing and teaching sustainable development strategies for adaptation to climate change must do the work tirelessly, and the recipients who are local farmers must be willing and pay attention to learn and adapt to climate-smart agriculture technologies.

With the above-mentioned solutions, we can enhance and strengthen national food security and hope for a sustainable future.