By Cecilia Chiluba/Lusaka/Zambia
Zambia has secured over US$30 million in climate finance to strengthen resilience among smallholder farmers facing increasing climate-related shocks.
The project, titled “Catalyzing a Climate Risk Protection Shield for Zambian Smallholder Farmers,” comprises US$25 million in grant financing from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and US$5.26 million in co-financing from One Acre Fund Limited.
The initiative is expected to provide climate risk protection, climate-smart agricultural inputs, and land restoration support to vulnerable farming communities across the country.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, Ministry of Finance and National Planning Permanent Secretary Prudence Kaoma said the programme represents a strategic step toward integrating climate resilience into Zambia’s development framework.
“Zambia is placing climate risk management at the core of its development. Our accreditation to the Green Climate Fund is not just a technical milestone; it is a mandate to turn climate finance into concrete, measurable results for our people ,” Ms. Kaoma said.
She added that the project will offer predictable support to farmers during periods of climate stress.
“When the rains come late or end too early, it is not a graph that feels the shock, it is a family deciding whether they can keep children in school or sell livestock to survive,” she added. “This initiative will ensure timely support, restore degraded land, and sustain agricultural productivity through climate-smart solutions.”
Ms. Kaoma further noted that the project aligns with Zambia’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and underscores Government’s commitment to mainstreaming climate resilience in national planning and budgeting.
Meanwhile, Zambia’s Ambassador to Korea, Andrew Banda, described the initiative as a key milestone under the environmental sustainability pillar of the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP).
Mr. Banda said the project represents a critical intervention in safeguarding livelihoods, enhancing food security, and strengthening resilience among rural communities.
“Through collaboration with partners such as the Green Climate Fund, we are turning climate ambition into tangible and impactful results,” he said.
