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With support from World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF), CUTS is implementing a project called “Transforming the Most Impacted by Climate Change into Climate Smart Leaders in Zambia” under the Voices for Climate Action (VCA) framework.
The project aims to scale up Zambia’s climate action response targeting vulnerable communities in the Mazabuka district, which is located in the southern province of the country. The project that commenced in October 2021 will run for five years renewable every year based on the performance of the sub-grant partner.
The project’s interventions involve supporting mutual capacity building for co-creating alternative climate solutions directed by local individuals and groups, which are essential for enhancing community resilience against climate risks.
Further, CUTS interventions are aligned with VCA’s framework and movement in climate action through amplified storytelling, lobbying and advocacy to make policy and finance more responsive to the needs of the highly vulnerable to climate change. Women are considered as leadership key to ensuring the voices of marginalised groups are heard. To this effect, VCA presents a fair, just and solution-oriented agenda that integrates social and economic rights into climate action.
Together with alliance partners and local CSOs – the project is creating a democratic playing field and amplifying the inventive local solutions to spur a broader development. By doing so, shaping a new reality for the people and nature movement in climate action through storytelling, lobbying, and advocacy to make policy and finance more responsive to the needs of vulnerable groups, such as women’s rights organizations, the youth, and the disabled, is commendable.
CUTS has since identified women’s rights organisations, the youth and the disabled as the main groups that bear the brunt of the impacts of climate change. Activities carried out by CUTS include market research to identify alternative energy smart solutions that are climate sensitive. Some of the key activities identified in Mazabuka district that drive climate change include the brewing of an illicit spirit popularly known as kachasu, charcoal burning, sand mining and molasses burning.
Overall, the project’s efforts in empowering vulnerable communities, promoting sustainable practices, and advocating for climate-responsive policies are commendable steps towards creating climate-smart leaders in Zambia’s most impacted regions.