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Zambia is seeking support towards climate change mitigation efforts from the Ban Ki-Moon Center for Global Citizens (BKMC), a government official said on Monday.

Collins Nzovu, Minister of Green Economy and Environment said there was a need for close cooperation with the organization and that Zambia was committed to scale-up mitigation measures to combat climate change.

The Zambian minister was speaking when he held talks with BKMC Chief Executive Officer Moniker Froehler and Chief Operations Officer Katrina Harvey on the sidelines of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, according to a release.

He thanked the organisation for considering Zambia to be a partner in agriculture adaptation, adding that the country has prioritised adaptation and building resilience of the agriculture sector.

The Zambian minister further said the country was in the process of developing a national adaptation plan that will focus on strengthening national-level coordination frameworks and processes for mainstreaming climate change adaptation into national, sub-national and sectoral development planning.

“Agriculture and water availability are one of the prioritized sectors in the national adaptation plan that will need urgent attention and support if we are to achieve our adaptation aspirations,” he said.

He further welcomed BKMC’s project called Elevating Agriculture Adaptation, saying it has come at a right time when Africa was facing many climate change challenges like extreme temperatures, droughts and floods.

According to him, the climate change-induced challenges have huge negative impact on the agriculture sector by reducing productivity and causing food security.

The BKMC is chaired by immediate past Secretary-General of the UN Ban Ki-Moon and former President of Austria Heinz Fischer.