Climate change and food crisis: how Zambian women are affected/Changement climatique et crise alimentaire: comment les femmes zambiennes sont affectees.

AuthorMakota, Cecilia

There has been limited research conducted in Zambia with regard to the impact of climate change related to human activities and natural systems. Zambian scientist nominated to the intergovernmental panel of climate change (IPCC) developed guide lives of how to mitigate the impact of climate change and food crisis.

Causes of Climate Change and food Crisis

When carbon dioxide is pumped into the atmosphere in voluminous quantities it can cause both floods and droughts since we Zambians have half emerged from poverty, we have bought numerous Japanese 2nd hand vehicles that emit a lot of carbon dioxide and also our bad habit of cutting trees and burning charcoal poses a threat to the contamination of the atmospheric pollution due to excessive smoke and poisonous gases.

Temperature increase

Professor Daka, a lecture of the University of Zambia, states that in his research. It was evidenced that over 30 years the average temperature had increased by one percent making the impact of drought to be very severe. This phenomenon causes floods and droughts thus adversely affecting food crop production which is predominantly the prime activity of rural female farmers who produce crops for household and national food security. These female farmers bear the heavy task of feeding families to enhance their immunity against diseases such as malaria, malnutrition and HIV.

Food crisis due to climate Change

It is an undisputable fact that climate change is the major cause of rural poverty which affects mostly rural female farmers and their children. When disease set in, women have no option but to sell, in desperate prices, even that which was meant for the family consumption. Infrastructure in rural Zambia leaves much to be desired. It aggravates the availability accessibility of food since the culverts, roads and make-shift bridges are washed away by floods. Road transport becomes unaffordable and unavailable impacting also on erratic food deliveries and food shortages.

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Dependence on rain fed crops

Due to lack of affordable, manageable and less labour intensive rural irrigation system and the high cost of fuel, women farmers solely depend on rain fed crops which puts them out of production during adverse climate change; they them become casualties of famine.

Food quality and sustainability

A healthy body needs qualitative food on a regular daily basis. However, as in accordance with the traditional customary practices, women and children...

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