Overview on Climate Resilience Efforts

In July 2022, the Government of the Republic of Zambia launched its US$5.7 billion Water Investment Programme in partnership with the African Union Commission (AUC) and the AIP International High-Level Panel on Water Investments for Africa. Committed to tackling water-related challenges, the government is also implementing wide-ranging measures to address climate-induced impacts across water and other priority sectors to build long-term climate resilience.

Key national policies and strategies include the National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA, 2007), the National Climate Change Response Strategy (NCCRS, 2010), the National Policy on Climate Change (NPCC, 2016), and the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC, 2016). Zambia has also developed its Initial, Second, and Third National Communications under the UNFCCC, reaffirming its commitment to safeguarding the climate system for both present and future generations.

In October 2023, the government launched its National Adaptation Plan (NAP) to enhance national resilience and reduce vulnerability to climate change. The NAP outlines medium- to long-term adaptation actions aligned with Zambia’s Vision 2030, National Development Plans, and NDC targets. It promotes a whole-of-government approach and strong stakeholder participation, with line ministries coordinating sectoral actions while leveraging the expertise and resources of non-state actors to drive effective implementation.

To realize the NAP’s goals, Zambia aims to mobilize climate finance from innovative sources, including green bonds, public-private partnerships (PPPs), blended finance, nature-debt swaps, and credit enhancements. As a founding country of the AIP, Zambia supports the establishment of the AIP international blended climate-resilient water investment facility. This facility will leverage official development assistance (ODA) and grant financing to de-risk priority water investments through diverse instruments, including sovereign wealth funds, guarantees, institutional investors, private equity, and impact investment.

Gender Dimensions of Climate Change

Despite progress in advancing gender equality, significant challenges persist in Zambia. Women continue to face barriers to economic inclusion due to time poverty, lower educational attainment, and limited access to finance, markets, technology, and business development services. These factors reinforce structural inequalities and limit women’s participation in decision-making and productive employment.

In the water sector, there is an unequal distribution of responsibilities, decision-making power, and access to resources. Recognizing and addressing these differences is crucial for equitable and sustainable water management. Access to water services remains low in many parts of Zambia, prompting successive governments to prioritize investment in water infrastructure.

Stakeholder participation—particularly that of women—is a core principle in water supply development and maintenance. Understanding and addressing the constraints that exclude women or overburden them is essential for reducing inequalities and conflicts over resources.

Climate change affects both men and women across urban and rural settings, but impacts are often more severe for women due to existing inequalities. Evidence suggests that gender-responsive approaches lead to better outcomes for all. Ensuring equal opportunities and resources for women and men to participate in climate and water-related decision-making is therefore critical.

The NAP process in Zambia has been designed to incorporate gender considerations, as guided by the 2016 Climate Change Gender Action Plan. The NAP recognizes gender-specific adaptation needs and capacities, and promotes equal participation in decision-making. Future activities will continue to integrate gender equity into all aspects of adaptation planning and implementation.

Project Focus