VICE President Mutale Nalumango has called on COMESA member states to invest in climate resilient technologies and innovations to protect the region from the effects of climate change.
Mrs Nalumango says these interventions will help member states mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change that threatened the region’s economies and livelihoods.
She says a number of sectors such as mining, agriculture and tourism have become vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
The Vice President said this when she officially opened the 45th COMESA Meeting of the Council of Ministers in Lusaka.
She observed that climate change preparedness diversification, innovation and developing climate resilient value chains are some of the options that should be adopted to protect the region.
“As a region, we are seized with our collective responsibility to embrace innovative and sustainable solutions to address the challenges we face in terms of adverse weather patterns,” she said.
The Vice President also stated that the mining sector, much like agriculture, holds immense potential to catalyse regional development and benefit from deeper regional integration.
She further explained that the opportunities for value addition lie not only within the confines of one-member state’s borders, but rather in well-developed regional value chains transcending several COMESA member states.
And COMESA Secretary General, Chileshe Kapwepwe said the geopolitical conflicts around the world are straining the supply chains for essential commodities, such as agricultural inputs, food and fuel among others.
She also disclosed that the adverse effects of climate change, including prolonged drought conditions and floods in some areas have resulted in devastating effects in the region.
“These situations call for even more collaboration in strengthening economic and social integration among COMESA member states,” she said.
She explained that the Secretariat is also implementing initiatives to strengthen regional agri-food data and information systems like the regional food balance sheet, reduce post-harvest losses to promote food safety.
Ms Kapwepwe added that COMESA is also in the forefront of promoting private sector development with a particular focus on SMEs including women and youths entrepreneurs.
