Zambia Launches Climate Smart Governance Dashboard to Tackle Climate Change
In a significant step towards addressing the challenges posed by climate change, Zambia officially launched the Climate Smart Governance (CSG) Dashboard at the Radisson Blu, Lusaka. The keynote speech was delivered by Dr. Douty Chibamba, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment.
The CSG Dashboard is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) under the Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centres (CGIAR) ClimBeR Initiative.
Its development commenced in 2023 with the aim of providing timely and context-specific climate change information for researchers, policymakers, and planners to support evidence-based policy formulation.
During his speech, Dr. Chibamba emphasized the importance of empirical data as the foundation for evidence-based policy formulation in support of Zambia’s development goals, including the Eighth
National Development Plan (8NDP), Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), and the National Adaptation Plan (NAP), as well as the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The CGIAR ClimBeR Initiative, launched in several countries including Zambia, aims to enhance the resilience of smallholder production systems to withstand the adverse effects of climate change such as droughts, floods, and high temperatures.
The CSG Dashboard, a web-based platform, will facilitate access to climate change information for Zambian researchers and policymakers. Climate change being a knowledge-intensive field, the platform will provide crucial data required for decision-making at local, national, and transnational levels.
Dr. Chibamba also highlighted the alignment of the CSG Dashboard with the government’s 2023-2026 National Electronic Government Plan, which aims to transform government-citizen interactions and service delivery, making them more efficient, transparent, and accessible.
The platform offers a wealth of knowledge related to climate risk and vulnerability profiles, ongoing adaptation and mitigation actions, opportunities for climate financing, and more. It is expected to enhance climate change awareness, education, and action at national and subnational levels.
Dr. Chibamba acknowledged the need for continuous support from stakeholders for information provision and capacity development to ensure the dashboard’s effective maintenance and hosting. He emphasized the platform’s role in providing continuous updates and reporting on climate actions in the country.
The launch event concluded with the official declaration of the Climate Smart Governance Dashboard as officially launched. This tool is set to play a pivotal role in Zambia’s efforts to combat climate change, enhance resilience, and achieve sustainable development.
