WWF Zambia Calls on CSOs to Lead Fight Against Climate Change

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Zambia Country Director, Nachilala Nkombo, has challenged civil society organisations (CSOs) across the country to take the front seat in the fight against climate change.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Zambia Country Director, Nachilala Nkombo, has challenged civil society organisations (CSOs) across the country to take the front seat in the fight against climate change.

“We know the critical role that civil society plays in the governance of any country, particularly in the pursuit for inclusive and sustainable development. If we have a civil society that has the desire to secure the integrity of the environment at heart, all efforts aimed at protecting nature will be fully supplemented. And once that happens, people’s lives will improve drastically,” observed the WWF Zambia Country Director.

She said this during the official handover of office equipment to the governing council of the Civil Society Organisation Environmental Hub (CSO E Hub) at the WWF Zambia Country office yesterday. The Hub, which is a consortium of 210 CSOs, has now transitioned from being hosted by WWF Zambia to a fully functional, independent organization.

Speaking at the same event, Her Excellency the Finnish Ambassador to Zambia, Pirjo Suomela-Chowdh, congratulated WWF Zambia, PMTC and other stakeholders for incubating the Hub until this stage, when it is now able to operate as an independent entity. "The Embassy will remain keen to follow progress of the Hub in the future, and to maintain contact with our important Civil Society Environment Fund 2 (CSEF2) partners,” she assured.

Meanwhile, the CSO E Hub Governing Council Chairperson, John Mthaziko Zulu, praised the Government of Finland, WWF Zambia, PMTC and other partners for their relentless support to ensuring the independence of the Hub. He also appealed to the partners to continue rendering both financial and technical support to the Hub.

And CSO E Hub National Coordinator Godfrey Phiri reaffirmed the hub's comitment to facilitating efforts aimed at maximising civil society's role in the fight against environmental issues.

WWF handing over CSO Hub.