By Petro Mkandawire

Blantyre, July 16, Mana: Project Facilitator for Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme (CS-EPWP) in Blantyre, Aubrey Jazza has urged community members to adopt and embrace climate smart project as a way of addressing the interlinked challenges of food security and climate change.

Jazza said this on Tuesday during a supervision of Lenjemesi Catchment area in Traditional Authority Makata which was aimed at assessing technical guidelines, watershed logistics and assessing if all sub projects are being implemented in line with agricultural seasonality.

He said the increase in flooding has resulted in communities having less water available for food production as such community members should be optimistic in CS-EPWP to improve their economic well-being and treat run-off to reduce pollutants.  

“CS-EPWP helps to keep soils from eroding, preserve land fertility and save local plants, smart water management conserves water supplies by lowering unnecessary consumption and respond to adverse climate change situations; hence, community members have to invest and take the programme seriously,” said Jazza.

He however, expressed gratitude over community’s active participation in various interventions under CS-EPWP sub catchments. He also called upon people to work closely together in conserving the environment, noting that it helps to boost the economy of the country.

The tour of Lenjemesi Catchment was also meant to assess the number of beneficiaries, quality of assets, programme achievements and implementation of works in line with CS-EPWP mandate.

In a separate interview, secretary for Lenjemesi Catchment Management, Shadrick Batamus said the catchment area covers 377.5 hectares with almost 1876 families benefiting economically from the programme.

Batamus said through various CS-EPWP developments, participants earn money which is paid after completing a 24 day cycle and the project has greatly reduced risks of natural disasters and improve water conservation in their farms.

“Check dams and swales have enhanced the availability of irrigation water and helped in the slow running of water that prevents our crops from floods, as such we are happy with the programme since we are now able to feed our families, buy clothes, buy farm inputs and as we are talking, I have bought yellow solar through wages from CS-EPWP,” said Batamus.

CS-EPWP in Blantyre has 17, 107 participants in 15 catchment areas whereby 10 areas are model catchments with 500 hundred participants and currently with funds from the World Bank over K130 million has been utilized on the implementation of CS-EPWP.