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Zambia |
ECOLOGY
The
destruction of Zambia’s environment is at its peak
because of extreme human factors influencing climate change in the country
Because of the climate change, Zambia is one of the developing countries which has signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), created in 1992. According to the UNFCC, the major concern has been the overall increase in the earth’s temperature because of the accumulation of man-made greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the atmosphere. GHGs are a by-product of humankind’s socio-economic activities, especially those involving the use of high carbon fuels.
Issues on how the GHG emissions affect the depletion of the ozone layer (some 15-50 kilometres above the earth), made an interesting, informative and educative discussion at the Climate Change Media Workshop, held at Protea Lodge, Chisamaba, Chibombo district, near Lusaka from 28 February-3 March 2000. About twenty journalists from Lusaka’s print and electronic media attended the Workshop organised by the Environmental Council of Zambia (ECZ). A number of papers on environmental issues were presented by ECZ experts and other invited resource persons.
In his paper, «Introduction To The Ozone Layer Protection In Zambia», ECZ ozone project co-ordinator, Mr Mathias Banda, explained that the depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer continues to be of concern to the world, and that it has many effects on human health, animals, plants and aquatic life. «A number of man-made chemicals are capable and responsible for destroying the stratospheric ozone. These contain chlorine or bromine which are extremely reactive when in a free state, and can, therefore, attack ozone,» Banda said.
He added that it has been scientifically proved that emission of manmade chemicals like chlorofluorocarbons (known as CFCs), halons, carbon tetrachloride, methyl chloroform, methyl bromide into the atmosphere, has a destructive effect on the ozone layer. Banda pointed out: «When released in the atmosphere, the CFCs are broken apart by solar radiation, thus releasing a chlorine atom which reacts with other ozone molecules. The chlorine oxide thus formed, undergoes further reaction which regenerates the original chlorine, allowing the process to be repeated many times. It is estimated that each chlorine atom can destroy 100,000 ozone molecules before it is removed from the atmosphere».
The journalists were informed that the destruction of the ozone had created a «hole» discovered above Antarctica in 1985 by Sherwood Rowlands and Maria Moline in their scientific observations. The «hole» relates to the extreme thinning of the ozone molecules or the depletion of ozone, but not its complete absence.
Government action
Banda said the Zambian government had drawn up programmes designed to assist in the phasing out of Ozone Depletion Substances (ODS)s as one of the priority areas for the management of the environment and the country’s natural resources.
«Through the Environmental Council of Zambia (ECZ), Zambia monitors and protects the environment and natural resources, against effects resulting from the modification of the ozone layer from stratospheric air pollution», he explained. Zambia’s programme, under the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, has been tasked to ensure that the phasing out of the ODS‘ is expeditiously implemented in Zambia.
Banda added that in 1991, the Zambian government was one of the first three countries in Africa (together with Ghana and Egypt) to prepare the country’s programme for the reduction and phasing out of ODS‘. He said that with regard to ODS‘, Zambia was a low-volume consuming (LVC) country. However, with the liberalised economy, the sprouting of new industries, and other factors, have increased the level of OAS‘.
The energy sector
In his paper entitled: «Climate Change Mitigation in the Mining and Manufacturing Sectors In Zambia», Dr. George Kasali, principal scientific officer at Lusaka’s National Institute of Science and Industrial Research (NISI), highlighted the science of climate change and discussed the concepts of mitigation analysis as they relate to the mining and manufacturing sectors in Zambia. Kasali noted that in Zambia, as well as in most other countries, the energy sector was the major source of GHG emissions, citing mining as one of the energy-consuming sectors in the country.
«The mining and processing of copper involves the combustion of fuels required to provide operational energy. This combustion results in the emission of greenhouse gases which can cause global warming and the resultant climate change».
Dr Kasali said the mining sector used a variety of energy sources which include petroleum products, coal, wood and electricity. The mining sector is heavily dependent on electricity for its operations. This has an advantage in that, in Zambia, electricity is mainly of hydro origin and as such, is GHG-free. The main source of GHG emissions, are petroleum products and coal. In Zambia, petroleum products are imported and, therefore, impose a heavy burden on the country’s economy. Coal, on the other hand, is mined within Zambia and provides high employment prospects.
Kasali said the predominant gas from the mining industry is carbon dioxide and this inevitably becomes the target for GHG abatement measures. Reduction of carbon dioxide emissions are expected to result in concomitant reductions of other GHG emissions.
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