In a collaborative effort to drive climate resilience and adaptation, a recent workshop in Lusaka, Zambia, marked the beginning of a project to address agricultural challenges through innovative climate adaptation strategies in two provinces (Eastern and Southern). The project, led by the UNU-MCII, focuses on developing provincial adaptation roadmaps using the ECA Framework. These roadmaps provide practical, scenario-based recommendations to address agricultural challenges through innovative climate adaptation strategies.  

The inception workshop brought together a group of 50 engaged participants from the Eastern and Southern Regions, as well as from national level contributing diverse insights and expertise. The key stakeholders during the workshop included provincial and national government agencies, agricultural and environmental groups, and community representatives, all working collaboratively to shape targeted input for the project’s scope. The involvement of the stakeholders during the inception workshop ensures that the scoping of the project corresponds to provincial needs. The project focuses on the agricultural sector, including livestock, fisheries, and sustainable natural resource management. While the project is mainly targeting agricultural ministries in both regions, the broader benefits extend to farmers, local industries, and communities, who stand to gain from increased resilience to climate impacts in agriculture.  This project takes an innovative approach by incorporating hands-on capacity building, interactive training sessions, and the development of tailored adaptation roadmaps. By focusing on building local expertise and providing practical guidance through these roadmaps, the project empowers stakeholders to implement scenario-based adaptation strategies effectively. This structured approach ensures that decision-makers can access adaptable, sector-specific solutions, enhancing their capacity to address climate-related challenges.  

A major success of the workshop was the high level of engagement and enthusiasm from participants. The interactive sessions, especially the capacity-building activities, fostered a dynamic exchange of ideas. Stakeholders appreciated the practical focus of ECA studies, which builds on previous climate risk assessment efforts to enhance their impact through structured, context-specific guidance. Following the workshop, the project team will continue to gather data, review stakeholder inputs and define assets at drought risk in both regions. Moreover, in each province a designated local “champion” will be identified to facilitate ongoing knowledge exchange, data collection and verification, as well as community engagement. In the coming months, the team will develop the adaptation roadmaps, with feedback loops ensuring the solutions remain aligned with evolving local needs and capacities. 

The Zambia workshop sets a promising foundation for provincial climate resilience, blending science-based adaptation strategies with practical, locally relevant national solutions.