Environment

Substituting charcoal key to positive climate change (Zambia Daily Mail)

By DOREEN NAWA

ZAMBIA Environmental and Gender Organisation (ZENGO) says substituting charcoal for twigs, saw dust and cow dung has positive climate change and developmental benefits.
And ZENGO says women are major stakeholders in meeting the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) number 7 of ensuring environmental sustainability.
ZENGO founder and President Elizabeth Musonda said if the use of charcoal is not regulated, the fight against climate change will not be won.
Ms Musonda said women should play a pivotal role in promoting initiatives that seek to address the MDG number 7.
She said the use of twigs, saw dust and cow dung is a good initiative towards regulating charcoal business and in turn conserving the forests.
Ms Musonda said this initiative must be supported by everyone, including government, in order to stop the depletion of forests.
“The MDG number 7 needs everyone’s support if we are to succeed. The main solution lies on how we regulate our forests. I think we need to gradually promote and introduce the use of the twigs, cow dung and saw dust into every home.
This will gradually cut off the charcoal production whose adverse impact on the environment is terrifying,” she said.
Ms Musonda said her organisation wants as many women as possible to switch to the alternatives and this is possible through the brazier specifically designed for the use of twigs, cow dung and saw dust.
‘To promote this switch via community education and policy change, we need Government on board. I think Government should do their part and ban the use of the usual braziers and instead promote the new one called Pulumusa,” she said.
Pulumusa meaning Saviour, is designed to use twigs, cow dung and sawdust as compared to the ordinary brazier that uses large amounts of charcoal.
Ms Musonda said she has been to all provinces promoting the use of the new brazier and women are keen to switch to the use of twigs, cow dung and saw dust.
She said there is need for all stakeholders especially that environment affects everyone, to encourage the government to help women make the switch.
However, costs, availability, and fear of switching are a big concern.
“We want to move this campaign to schools so that children can teach their parents. So far we have reached pilot provinces like eastern where the response is good.
Teaching our women on the use of twigs, cow dung and saw dust using Pulumusa needs government support through policy change,” she said.
Zambia continues to experience deforestation every year. Worldwide deforestation and forest degradation account for nearly 20 percent of global greenhouse emissions.
If the planet’s temperature is going to be stabilised within 2 degree Celsius limit, one of the major solutions lies in conserving the forests.