THE Governing Board of the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) has approved Zambia’s Nature, People, and Climate Investment Plan (ZNPC-IP) and allocated US$34.65 million in funding.
The funding will support nature-based solutions to address, in an integrated manner, the multiple drivers and impacts of climate change caused by human activities on land resources and ecosystem services in Central, Copperbelt, and North-Western Provinces.
This is according to verified information issued by Minister of Green Economy and Environment Mike Mposha.
Zambia’s NPC-IP was approved alongside Ethiopia’s Nature, People, and Climate Investment Plan on Wednesday (4th December 2024).
Of the US$34.65 million from the CIF, US$33 million has been allocated to the Government through the Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) namely, the African Development Bank (AfDB), the World Bank (WB) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) while US$1.65million is the MDBs Project Implementation Support Services (MPIS) which will be channeled to the MDBs as project management fees.
The Z NPC-IP identifies up to US$221.1million in expected co-financing from the AfDB, the WB and the IFC bringing the total resource envelope for the Investment Plan to US$255.75 million with the potential to mobilize additional financing from bilateral and multilateral cooperating and development partners as well as the private sector. Further, the CIF, through the Dedicated Grant Mechanism (DGM), will channel an additional US$4 million in funding directly to vulnerable local communities in the three provinces to support and scale community-led actions to diversify livelihoods and safeguard biodiversity.
The Z NPC-IP is anchored on four pillars, that is: sustainable, diversified and inclusive livelihoods; protection, restoration and conservation of ecosystems; climate information and services enhancement; and investment in climate infrastructure and human resources. It also includes strategic multi-sectoral interventions designed into three main programmes, namely: building resilience of food, livelihoods and ecosystem services; promotion of climate-smart agriculture and climate resilience; and strengthening community livelihoods and resilience through sustainable management of natural resources.
Implementation of the programmes is expected to benefit over 310,000 small-scale farmers particularly women, the youth, persons with disabilities and older persons through conservation agriculture and improved animal husbandry, and over 110,000 hectares of forests will be sustainably managed.In addition, the Z NPC-IP will deliver approximately 2.67 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in greenhouse gas emission reduction.
The targeted districts for the implementation of the Z NPC-IP are Chitambo, Kapiri Mposhi, Mkushi, Ngabwe and Serenje in Central Province; Lufwanyama, Masaiti, Mpongwe and Mufulira in Copperbelt Province; and Chavuma, Ikelenge, Kalumbila, Kasempa, Mushindamo, Mwinilunga and Zambezi in North-western Province.
The endorsement of the Z NPC-IP followed the approval of an Expression of Interest (EoI) to participate in the CIF’s Nature, People and Climate Programme in November 2022 and the preparation and submission of the Z NPC-IP to the CIF in October 2024. To prepare the Z NPC-IP, the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment undertook extensive consultations with a wide spectrum of stakeholders including Government line ministries, civil society organisations, academic and research institutions, the private sector, cooperating and development partners, traditional leaders and local communities. The Ministry of Green Economy and Environment also worked very closely with the MDBs with the AfDB as the lead MDB.
“I, thus, wish to thank all stakeholders that participated in and supported the preparation of the Z NPC-IP. In terms of the way forward, working with the MDBs, within the next 18 months, the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment will develop projects to support the implementation of the Investment Plan. Additionally, the Ministry will extensively consult and seek the participation of all key stakeholders in the preparation of the projects. I, therefore, call upon all stakeholders to partner with Government, through my ministry, to implement the Z NPC-IP,’’ Mr Mposha.
With support from all, we will be able to address the multiple drivers and impacts of climate change and deliver core climate results including greenhouse gas emission reduction, resilience strengthening of landscapes and local communities, while also generating improved livelihoods, biodiversity conservation, and disaster risk reduction in the three (3) provinces.
