TRALARD SUPPORTS 209 COMMUNITY GROUPS IN MUCHINGA

By SIMON MUNTEMBA

CLIMATE change has emerged as a major challenge to development efforts as it has a dramatic impact on livelihoods, economy and environment, often undermining growth and disturbs on-going developmental efforts.

It limits the availability of foods in many communities and exposes them to high levels of food and nutrition insecurity and for many months of the year.

Indeed, climate related shocks continue to negatively affect livelihoods and erode communities’ ability to fully recover, leading to increased fragility and vulnerability.

In fact, one of the factors of rural communities’ vulnerabilities is the lack of diversity in their subsistence activities.

Therefore, facilitating the introduction and adoption of diversified activities, including those that are less reliant on the exploitation of natural resources are key to building resilience of local communities.

It is against this background that the Zambian Government through the Transforming Landscapes for Resilience and Development (TRALARD) project in Muchinga Province has supported 209 community groups in diversifying livelihoods and improving farming practices.

The project which is implemented by the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment with the support of the World Bank Group has also trained 54,433 small-scale farmers in climate smart agriculture (CSA) practices to help them adapt to climate change and contribute towards mitigating it.

The livelihoods activities are designed to increase the sustainability of rural livelihoods.

The list of alternative livelihoods that the TRALARD project is supporting includes increased rearing of livestock, for instance, agroforestry, agro processing, aquaculture, fingerlings’ production, fish processing, feed production for fisheries, beekeeping, and caterpillars’ and mushrooms’ production.

The project also supports services based livelihoods such as tailoring and other activities that are acceptable to the communities.

These activities target mostly women and youths to improve the socioeconomic situation, particularly of women whose roles are traditionally associated with lower-value natural resources.

Provincial Project Operations Officer (POO), Catherine Sakala said out of the 209 supported community groups, 53,732 people from over 9, 000 households have benefited from the project.

Ms Sakala said this when she briefed the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment Permanent Secretary, Douty Chibamba on the status of the TRALARD project in the region.

Dr. Chibamba, accompanied by senior government officials from his ministry and the TRALARD National Project Coordinating Unit (NPCU) team was in the province to monitor some TRALARD supported projects.

“The Project has so far supported 209 community groups in Muchinga Province. Out of the 209 community groups, 53,732 beneficiaries are from over 9,000 households, “Ms Sakala said.

She noted that one of the factors of rural communities’ vulnerabilities was the lack of diversity in their subsistence activities; here the TRALARD project had facilitated the introduction and adoption of diversified activities, including those that were less reliant on the exploitation of natural resources.

To improve food security and reduce poverty, the POO disclosed that through the line ministries, Ministry of Agriculture, and Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, TRALARD trained 54,433 small-scale farmers consisting of 26,627 males and 27,806 females in CSA practices.

Ms Sakala explained that the training of small-scale farmers in CSA practices was important in that it would help them to adapt to climate change and contribute towards its mitigation by adopting appropriate practices, thereby improving food security and income.

She also said that TRALARD was supporting individual farmers and communities in Muchinga to increase their productivity for food security and income by encouraging them to adopt diverse and climate-resilient farming practices and introduction of technologies for efficient processing and reduction of post-harvest losses.

To address the issue of post-harvest losses, Ms Sakala said 21,054 farmers, consisting of 10,897 males and 10,157 females were trained in post-harvest loss management to increase their capacity for sustainable climate-hazard preparedness.

She stated that when small-scale farmers implement post-harvest loss management practices, they would be able to reduce losses, thereby increasing their resilience to natural hazards and their ability to rapidly recover after a shock.

In a related development, Ms Sakala announced that TRALARD had embarked on the construction of climate resilient infrastructure development, including the 11 bulking centres to address the issue of storage farm produce and marketing, as well as seven crossing points and an embankment to ensure farmers were able to transport their produce to the storage and marketing facilities smoothly.

This is a welcome move because the deficit of resilient infrastructures in the areas most vulnerable to climate change impacts has been a thorn in the flesh of smallholder farmers, especially those who produce more crops.

Thus, the bulking centres would be able to address the issue of volume that is often an obstacle for trade with large buyers.

By accumulating larger volumes of produce, the centres will leverage negotiating higher prices and consequently increase the profits of contributing farmers.

What is also comforting is that the bulking centres are constructed near farming areas and transportation routes.

The construction of crossing points is also recommendable as it would help avoid the interruption of connectivity during floods between rural communities and service providers, including medical and educational services and retail trade.

Meanwhile, Dr. Chibamba said he was impressed with the implementation of climate resilience projects under the TRALARD Project in Muchinga Province.

Dr. Chibamba who recently toured some selected TRALARD supported projects in Lavushimanda and Mpika Districts said he was impressed with what he found.

He said that he was particularly impressed with the dedication of the Kaloswe Community Forest Management Group members in safeguarding the forest in Mpika’s Nachikufu Ward, as well as the quality works done at Salamo and Mwalala Bulking Centres in Lavushimanda and Mpika Districts respectively.

The PS expressed optimism that the TRALARD Project would transform people’s lives and contribute to the mitigation and adaptation to the effects of climate change.

He also underscored his ministry’s commitment to biodiversity conservation, land management and fighting climate change, aimed at improving the socio-economic wellbeing of the people.

Indeed, the ultimate aim of the TRALARD supported activities is to elevate the economic well-being of targeted vulnerable communities.

These interventions have not only resulted in the better management of natural resources, but also helped in the generation of incremental income for the communities.