Weathering the climate crisis in Zambia - CARE - Care.org
Weathering the climate crisis in Zambia - CARE
When hunger strikes, her family’s only food source is Amaranth, a weed that requires little water to grow. It tastes like tender spinach and grows in their garden.
Fennie now lives with her sister Theresa, 88, and her sister’s grandchildren. They all sit on the porch. A walking stick is resting on Theresa’s shoulder as she has trouble walking. Her head is covered by the same wool hat as her sister’s, but hers is black. She nods occasionally while Fennie is speaking. Theresa’s seven children all died from different diseases.
“We take care of the grandchildren, as no one else is left,” says Fennie, waving towards the girl and boy leaning against the cool house wall.
“CARE came three times to us,” says Fennie. The first time to assess the damage and needs. The whole neighborhood was severely hit by the floods. They identified 24 households that have been affected the worst and needed immediate support.
“The second time they came and gave me some pots, canisters, blankets, solar lamps, and chlorine.”
The third time is a cash distribution of 400 Kwacha, which is about $21.
On the question of what she spent her money on, she laughs, “I didn’t spend it yet. I want to use it to rebuild my house. I put it into a small tin box and hold tightly on to it.”
She uses her hands to show how small she folded the money, so it fits snuggly in the tin box. Pressing her hands close to her heart, showing how precious it is to her and how proud she is to have kept it safe. She hopes that she soon can cook Nshima in her own kitchen again, sleep under her own roof and that the next flood will not hit them.
“You never know what will happen,” she says. “But you have to continue anyway.”
Related Knowledge Center: Climate economics
Climate change is now a driver of the world’s economy. The impact is profound:
- Catastrophic weather events — hurricanes, floods, droughts, high temperatures — are more frequent and more extreme. The cost can be measured in both the initial damage caused and the longer-term impact on the economy.
- Vulnerable communities are increasing climate-related investments, hardening infrastructure and taking other protective measures.
- Investment in carbon capture and storage technologies is increasingly rapidly.
- Governments are making investments and crafting regulations to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
On top of all of this is the cost of uncertainty. As the Fourth National Climate Assessment, released in 2018 by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, says, “The assumption that current and future climate conditions will resemble the recent past is no longer valid.”