Evaluating Strategies to Enhance Existing Policies and Mitigate the Impact of Climate Change on Security in Zambia

The problem in Zambia is that the nation is susceptible to the detrimental effects of climate change, of which the agricultural sector is most affected. Changes in weather systems while frequent and prolonged dry seasons are among the greatest threats that, as a nation which, greatly depends on agriculture as the leading economic activity that the country’s economy relies on. Climate change disruption is not a standalone issue but the aggravating factor of other societal factors, including food security, livelihoods, and socioeconomic vulnerability. Due to the fact that agroecology has become the key pillar in Zambia’s economy, the vulnerability of this branch to climate change is viewed as the most serious threat to be solved. Resilience and sustainable development in the country will face a huge challenge if this issue is not carefully addressed. This study looks at the effectiveness of implementing existing policies and strategies to address security concerns highlighted by climate change in Zambia. The qualitative research design calls for collecting data through interviews and open-ended questions involving the security actors and the related agencies. The analysis revealed a mixed view of the policy’s effectiveness, which was accompanied by barriers such as socioeconomic and implementation difficulties and challenges that were seen to stop the full manifestation of the policies. Policy recommendations include, but are not limited to, increased partnership with the local authorities to ensure policy implementation mainly, public education and mobilization, objectives in which efforts to achieve sustainable practices are recognized. Another prospect for future research is to monitor the evolving patterns with critical assessments, eventually define the policy impacts, compare them with previous conclusions, and specify measures in times of peak crisis. Through its efforts to address these inadequacies, Zambia may be able to improve upon its climate change resilience, establish a trajectory of sustainable development, and actively contribute to global climate change efforts whose goal is to minimize impacts.