A University of Zambia (UNZA) Geography and Environmental Studies Department Senior Lecturer, Dr Kabwe Harnadih Mubanga, has emphasized the need to work closely to advocate for strong and relatively cheap alternatives to charcoal.
Dr. Mubanga noted that despite the popularity of certain alternatives such as charcoal briquettes, people have not widely adopted them.
He stressed that any alternative must also consider the cost.
“Requesting people to switch to something more expensive and calling it an alternative might not be practical,” Dr. Mubanga said.
“We need to advocate for alternatives that are not only effective but also cost-efficient,” he said.
The Senior Lecturer made the remarks in Chongwe during the establishment of a Technical Working Group (TWG) as part of the Strengthening Civil Society Voices of Climate Advocacy in Zambia project.
He observed that supported by the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF) and implemented by the Centre for Environment Justice (CEJ), the initiative represents a significant advancement in enhancing Zambia’s ability to cope with climate change by empowering Civil Society Organizations to advocate for climate action environmental sustainability.
Dr Mubanga noted that the project aims to enhance the climate advocacy capacity of civil society organizations through comprehensive training, stakeholder consultations, dialogues, knowledge sharing, and the improvement of advocacy frameworks in National Adaptation Plan (NAP) processes and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) implementation.
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