Zambia is a large, landlocked country in central-southern Africa. It has a predominantly sub-tropical with one wet rainy season and two dry seasons, though rainfall varies significantly across the country. Its economy is predominantly based on the exploitation of its natural resources. Its climate is highly variable with droughts, floods, and extreme temperatures being increasingly frequent and intense in the past decades.  

Zambia’s average annual temperature is expected to increase between 1.2˚C –3.4˚C by 2060 compared to pre-industrial levels depending on the emission scenario (GRID Geneva, n.d.). Coupled with nearly annual drought or flood episodes since 2000, Zambia has experienced a reduction in rainfall between 1971-2005 compared to 1940-1970, with its southwestern region most severely affected (ibid.). Water availability is projected to decrease by 13% by 2100 which will have severe consequences for hydropower, agriculture, industrial production, and household use (NDC, 2020). Zambia already faces a high incidence rate of malaria, and this is expected to increase with climate change (GRID Geneva, n.d.). Waste management is a major concern for Zambia’s urban areas, with illegal dumping and open fires leading to both environmental degradation and increased risk of public health outbreaks (Sambo et al., 2020). 

In Zambia’s NDC, it outlines its mitigation actions focusing on sustainable forest management, sustainable agriculture, and renewable energy and efficiency (NDC, 2020). Adaptation programs are related to the promotion of irrigation, strengthening early warning systems, and using GIS/remote sensing in mapping drought/flood prone areas (UNDP, n.d.). 

CARE has worked in Zambia for over 25 years, focusing on humanitarian response and development in rural and peri-urban areas.