The construction and rehabilitation of irrigation canals and weirs in Nchelenge district by the Transforming Landscapes for Resilience and Development Project (TRALARD) will help farmers maintain their agricultural productivity despite the effects of climate change, the Ministry of Agriculture has said.
Nchelenge District Agricultural Coordinator Arnold Muimui said the 6-million-kwacha project is welcome and will improve farmers’ livelihood in the district.
“Climate change is a major threat to food security in Zambia, but irrigation can help farmers to adapt and continue producing food even during periods of drought,” Muimui said.
Mr. Muimui further detailed the significance of the irrigation improvements for local farmers.
"The rains have become unpredictable lately because of climate change," he explained. "So, our farmers struggle to water their crops. Second, even when it doesn't rain, farmers still want to grow things like vegetables. But getting water is tough because they have to go down to the natural water source, carry water up in buckets, and then water their crops.”
“So TRALARD is helping by building a weir to hold back water and canals to bring it closer to the fields. This will make it easier for farmers to water their crops and save time. Plus, they use this water for washing, cooking, and even drinking. So, it's a big help for our people."
TRALARD, a World Bank-funded project, is dedicated to enhancing landscape and community resilience to climate change. In Nchelenge district, the project focuses on upgrading irrigation infrastructure to empower farmers in adapting to climate change.
Chewe Chileshe, an irrigation engineer from the Ministry of Agriculture in Nchelenge district, elaborated on the project's benefits.
"The irrigation canals and weirs will help farmers to access water for their crops, even during the dry season," Mr. Chileshe said.
"And now under this project, we are trying to upgrade our simple weir to a permanent one. I think the reason is that we were having a challenge with water, especially when it's the end of October when the water levels are really low. So, we are losing a lot of water at the same time due to seepage. So, with this project, when the canals are lined our objective is to reduce the seepage losses. And then that will mean that we are going to have more water to irrigate our fields. It will also mean we are going to increase our production during that period.”
TRALARD district operations officer, Chioni Phiri, highlighted the need to reduce dependency on rain-fed agriculture in the face of climate change.
"So we all know that there's climate change," Phiri noted. "Most of the people in this district depend on rain-fed agriculture. So if there's any change in climate, it means they are hit badly. So instead of depending so much on rain-fed agriculture, we thought of constructing or rehabilitating irrigation canals. So even if there's a year where we do not have enough rain, at least farmers will be able to continue to grow their crops.”
Ms. Phiri further noted that the construction of this infrastructure will increase food security.
“So by the end of the day, we're trying to build resiliency in these people. So in case we're hit by these impacts of climate change, they are not affected so much. So with these irrigation canals that we have and the weirs that are being constructed, you’ll find that there'll be the production of food throughout the year, meaning that there'll be an improvement and an increase in food security.”
The project contractor Jeetech Alu Enterprises when contacted for comment said that the project is expected to be completed before the onset of the rainy season in Nchelenge.
The irrigation project is said to offer a lifeline to Nchelenge farmers grappling with the adverse effects of climate change and promises to maintain agricultural productivity and enhance livelihoods, even in the face of shifting weather patterns.
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