Building Climate Resilience in Zomba City

By Lonjezo Jamu.

Director of planning and development at Zomba City council Fred Nankuyu briefing Minister of Local Government Lingson Belekanyama about the project Model. (Photo by Lonjezo Jamu)

                  

Minister of local government Lingson Belekanyama has officially launched a project called Building Urban Climate Resilience for Southern-Eastern Africa. The project was launched at Gymkana ground in Zomba city with the aim of building Zomba City climate resilience.

Zomba city is one of the four cities in Southern-Eastern Africa countries whose proposal was approved for funding. The four years program has been launched following an outcry of natural disasters that surfaces due to climate change. The project among others will assist in developing capacities and establish conditions to adapt to the adverse effects of climate change.

In his speech during the launch of the project Belekanyama hailed the introduction of the project that it will positively impact people of Zomba and that they will be resilient to shocks of climate change and their lives will be protected.

“This project is very important as we all know that climate change has triggered various challenges and once this project is complete then residents of Zomba will be resilient to shocks of climate change and I am urging all stakeholders involved in the project to work diligently,” he said. 

Minister of Local Government Lingson Belekanyama Delivering his speech during the launch of the project at Gymkana Ground Zomba (Photo by Lonjezo Jamu)

The minister further called for cooperative efforts from different stakeholders for successful implementation of the project. He also urged residents of Zomba city to embrace the project wholeheartedly towards development of their communities and combating climate change at once and restoring the lost glory of Zomba city.

Concurring with Belekanyama, Professor Sosten Chiotha, Environmental Expert and Regional Director for LEADSEA stressed that locals should be committed towards the success of the project.

“There is need for locals to be committed and resetting their mind-set, play safe and follow resilience building, otherwise we might have other serious problems in future” he said.  

The project will be implemented by OXFAM Malawi and partners involved are UN habitat, LEADSEA, Department of Disaster Management Affairs, Red Cross Zomba and FRIM among others.

In her remarks OXFAM Country Director Lingaliren Mihowa said as a grant holder they will ensure that all conditions required for the success of the project are met, she further said that Zomba was singled out in order to address challenges that the city is facing due to climate change.

“OXFAM as a grant holder, will ensure that all the contractual obligation with adaptation fund are met, general oversight of the project, managing relationship with partners that are involved and making sure that all partners are inspired towards making sure that Zomba City Council can implement the project and meet its intended purpose,” she said.

“We were looking at the vulnerability of cities in order to test this urban climate resilience model on small cities so Zomba qualified due to its basis of vulnerability and in 2015 the city was affected by floods and deforestation is at large in the city” she further added.

The project among others will install city wide floods warning systems, construction of evacuation centres in Likangala, Sadzi and Chambo wards, solid waste management improvement, reconstruction of bridges and dams and city drainage capacity enhancement among others.

The two billion Kwacha overall project management will be undertaken by UN habitat project manager currently based in the department of disaster management affairs.

Meanwhile, Four Southern-Eastern African region cities in four countries namely Malawi, Mozambique, Comoros and Madagascar are expected to benefit from the project.