ZAMBIA NEEDS K11 BILLION FOR EL NINO PREPAREDNESS
By Rachel Mumba
Zambia needs 11 billion kwacha to fully implement its preparedness and anticipatory action plan for the anticipated 2026/27 El Niño season.
The Disaster Risk Management Division says the country requires 13.91 billion kwacha for interventions across ten clusters, but only 2.9 billion kwacha is currently available, leaving a funding gap of about 11 billion kwacha
The largest requirement is under the Energy Cluster, which needs 4.5 billion kwacha to ensure continuity of power supply and protect critical infrastructure during rainfall variability.
The Agriculture, Food Security and Livestock Cluster requires about 3.96 billion kwacha, with only 554.4 million kwacha currently available, leaving a funding gap of about 3.4 billion kwacha.
The Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Cluster has a funding requirement of about 2.93 billion kwacha, with a gap of nearly 1.98 billion kwacha, while the Health Cluster requires an additional 247.6 million kwacha
The preparedness plan is aimed at strengthening early action against multiple risks, including drought, floods and disease outbreaks, while ensuring access to food, safe water, health services, education and emergency supplies.
It also calls for communities at risk to receive accurate and timely information to enable them to take early action ahead of possible El Niño impacts