By KENNEDY  MUPESENI

CLIMATE change will cost Zambia US$53 million in the next five years if measures are not put in place to minimise the impact, the African Development Bank (AfDB) has said.

Meanwhile, Government has launched the Strengthening Climate Resilience in the Kafue Sub-Basin (SCRIKA) which will benefit more than 800 small-scale farmers in nine districts.

Speaking at the launch of the SCRIKA project in Lusaka on Thursday evening, AfDB principal agricultural economist Gbeli Leandre said measures should be put in place to avert the impact of climate change in the country.

Dr Leandre said the temperatures in most parts of Zambia were expected to rise between three to four degrees in the next three years.

Officiating at the same function, Agriculture and Livestock Deputy Minister Greyford Monde said the project would result in reduced climate change and also help alleviate poverty among the people along the Kafue Sub-Basin.

“The area being targeted is an agriculture area and at the same time it is the area most affected by weather patterns such as droughts and high rain which makes it difficult to record reasonable yields in most of the crops,” Mr Monde said.

Ministry of Finance Permanent Secretary in charge of budgeting Pamela Kabamba said Government had committed K4 million for the establishment of the Interim National Climate Change Secretariat, and that members of staff had been employed.

Ms Kabamba said Government would ensure that the project achieved the intended purpose looking at the benefit to the country.

Interim National Climate Change coordinator David Kaluba said the project was one of the largest investments on climate adaptation programmes in Zambia.