Chanco students equipped in climate change

BY WATIPASO MZUNGU JNR

The brains behind the project: Phalira

University students can play a crucial role in the formulation and implementation of policies and programmes necessary for fighting effects of climate change, Lake Chilwa Basin Climate Change Adaptation Programme (LCB) has said.

LCB Climate Change Programme Project Manager, Welton Phalira, made the observation on Monday in Mangochi when he accompanied 40 students from Chancellor College who visited Panda Demonstration Garden at Cape Maclear’s Chembe Village.

The project sponsored the students’ trip to the village for them to learn and appreciate how the garden is helping people in the village in recycling and reusing waste materials as one of the means for conserving natural resources.

Phalira said since climate change has spared no sector of human and economic development, it was necessary that young people, including those in institutions of higher learning, spearhead environmental and natural resources management as well as development initiatives.

He observed that recycling and reusing of office waste such as paper could be one way of conserving natural resources and reducing carbon emission into the air.

“Chancellor College is one such a place where a lot of paper is being wasted through burning. We feel that students should know how they can recycle and reuse the papers thus reduce the amount of carbon being emitted into the air,” Phalira explained.

“We, therefore, want to empower the youths and let them undertake such initiatives to the grassroots. LCB would like to empower the youths so that they understand issues of climate change at the earliest time and help them to develop mechanisms for fighting its effects,” he added.

Phalira stated that the trip to Chembe Village was meant to offer the students an opportunity get first hand information to acquire knowledge and skills on alternative waste management and development initiatives.

Chancellor College assistant registrar, Ellius Chizimba, who was also part of the team to Cape Maclear, welcomed the project, saying it will help the college check the amount of carbon it emits into the air and find the best way of reversing the situation.

“I’m very impressed with the project. Normally, we throw away some of these items, such as paper, not knowing they could be recycled and reused and thereby changing somebody’s life,” Chizimba said.

“I believe this project will benefit a lot of people once students start replicating what they have learnt here in other areas surrounding the college. At the same time, it will help us and the communities around us conserve the environment,” he added.



Heeed Officer explaining briquette-making process



President and founder of Chanco’s Green Campus Initiative, Heather Maseko, thanked LCB for the support and expressed her commitment towards the fight against the effects of climate change.

At Panda Garden, the students were introduced to production of fuel briquettes, hand-made paper products and aquaculture ponds, among others.

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