Zambia, Japan Pledge Stronger Collaboration to Tackle Food Insecurity, Climate Change 

Zambia and Japan reaffirmed their commitment to bolster bilateral cooperation and address pressing issues hindering human development. 

Zambia’s Ministry of Community Development and Social Services Permanent Secretary, Ms. Angela Kawandami, expressed gratitude for Japan’s ongoing assistance in various development sectors. 

The commitment emerged during a courtesy call by Mr. Tateyama Jotaro, Chief Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), on Ms. Kawandami.  

Discussions covered critical topics such as climate change, food insecurity, food preservation, crop mechanization, food value chains, and skills development. 

Ms. Kawandami emphasized the urgency of collaboration, highlighting Zambia’s current food crisis.  With an 80% crop failure, the government declared a national disaster.  

She underscored the need for continued collaboration to mitigate food insecurity as part of the response to drought and climate change. 

The Permanent Secretary elaborated on the ongoing national enumeration exercise to assess the full scale of the hunger crisis. This information will guide targeted interventions, including emergency cash transfers. 

Mr. Jotaro reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to supporting Zambia’s efforts in tackling food insecurity and climate change challenges that threaten human development. 

He highlighted the longstanding (over 60 years) bilateral relationship between Zambia and Japan, emphasizing its value as a foundation for continued collaboration in various development areas.  This includes resource mobilization and capacity building through technology and expertise sharing.