LocationsInsights from the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Expo reveal how the Strengthening Climate Resilience of Agricultural Livelihoods in Agro-Ecological Regions I and II in Zambia (SCRALA) project’s integrated approach is building resilience for Zambian communities.
NAP Expo 2025: Insights from the SCRALA Project’s side event
September 11, 2025
Farmers from Chirundu and Kazunguala district, panelists from UNDP and the Governmnet of Zambia, posses for a picture during the SCRALA project NAP Expo side event.
Photo by: Mulapwa Mukopole/UNDP Zambia
Elita Eleven’s voice was gentle, but it carried a quiet authority that made the entire room fall silent. A farmer from Chirundu District, Elita spoke with warmth and humour, her words painting pictures so vivid that even those seated in the last row could feel the weight of climate change challenges such as drought and floods.
She spoke of crops lost, of food insecurity, and of water that had grown scarcer with each passing season. Yet her story wasn’t only about hardship. It was also about hope; hope drawn from the Tauya Community Irrigation Scheme, a 20-hectare solar-powered irrigation sheme introduced through the SCRALA project.
Held from 12 to 15 August in Lusaka, Zambia, with over 450 delegates from around the world, the NAP Expo was organised by the Least Developed Countries Expert Group (LEG) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), with financial support (partly) from UNDP Zambia. It was the first of its kind in the country. Hosted by the Government of the Republic of Zambia, under the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment (MGEE), the Expo aimed at raising adaptation ambition, enhancing access to finance, and creating a platform for countries to share lessons on climate resilience. Linking to the theme “Innovations in the NAP Process,” the SCRALA project showed how collaboration, knowledge sharing, and innovation can turn climate challenges into opportunities, reinforcing Zambia’s commitment to a resilient, productive, and sustainable agricultural sector.
Elita Eleven, a farmer from Chirundu district during the SCRALA project NAP Expo side event.
Photo by: Mulapwa Mukopole/UNDP Zambia
John Sibwidu, a farmer from Kazungula district during the SCRALA project NAP Expo side event.
Photo by: Mulapwa Mukopole/UNDP Zambia
Beyond the SCRALA side event, UNFCCC Director of Adaptation, Youssef Nassef, set the tone: “Adaptation isn’t a bill we can skip. If we don’t fund it, the most vulnerable pay in lost harvests, in hunger, and shattered livelihoods.” Meanwhile, Dr. Chizumba Shepande, representing the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture–Mr. John Mulongoti, stressed the stakes: “Agriculture is the backbone of our economy, but it is also the sector most vulnerable to climate change. Strengthening climate resilience is not optional; it is essential for safeguarding livelihoods and national stability.”
Elita's story left the attendants in awe “Before the SCRALA project, farming was a gamble against the weather,” she said. “Now, with this irrigation scheme, we grow bananas all year, alongside cowpeas and fresh maize.” Since its handover in July 2024, the scheme has already generated more than ZMW 318,000 (about USD 20,263) this year. “We now have a reliable income and a renewed sense of hope for the future.”
Some smiled, others nodded. It wasn’t just her words the audience was responding to, but the resilience and dignity behind them.
Elita was one of four farmers invited to share their stories during a panel discussion, and each voice added another layer to the conversation about climate resilience. John Sibwidu, a farmer from Kazungula District, spoke of the Kabuyu Bulking Centre, where farming had shifted from subsistence to structured markets. “Through the SCRALA project, we secured contracts with the Food Reserve Agency and the World Food Programme. Last year, we raised nearly ZMW 385,000 (around USD 22,000),” he said.
As the farmers shared their experiences, it felt as if time had paused. Officials, development partners, and technical experts listened intently, their faces lighting up as they heard how policies and frameworks they helped shape were translating into real change on the ground. The dialogue reminded everyone that decisions made in conference halls ripple out into households, fields, and futures.
Speaking on behalf of UNDP Resident Representative Dr. James Wakiaga, Esther Nkomo, UNDP Programme Analyst, highlighted the project’s reach: “Through the Green Climate Fund, the project has reached over 700,000 farmers with technologies, practices, and services that build climate-resilient livelihoods.” GCF Regional Director for Africa, Olade Akakpo, added perspective: “With $32 million in GCF financing, complemented by strong co-financing, SCRALA is already reaching 78% of its target beneficiaries and demonstrating innovations that can be scaled across the region.”
Members from UNFCCC, the Green Climate Fund, UNDP Resident Representative and the Permanent Secretary from Ministry of Green Economy posses for a picture during the NAP Expo 2025 event.
Photo by; Mulapwa Mukopole/UNDP Zambia
Experts at the session emphasized the systems behind these changes. Localized weather forecasts in local languages empower farmers to make informed decisions. Diversification through conservation farming, livestock, and aquaculture provides multiple pathways to resilience. And with irrigation and mechanisation, farmers can now cultivate crops year-round, reducing vulnerability to climate shocks.
By the end of the side event, applause filled the room, not just for the farmers’ achievements, but for the clear connection between investment, innovation, and resilience. From weather information to conservation agriculture, irrigation, alternative livelihoods, and market access, the SCRALA project showed how every link in the value chain translates adaptation into tangible, measurable impact. The event also highlighted a crucial lesson: climate resilience must be backed by sustained finance, because without consistent investment, even the best innovations cannot reach their full potential.
The SCRALA project, which aims to build climate resilience among smallholder farmers across Zambia’s 16 districts, is funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) with technical support from the World Food Programme (WFP), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Water Resource Management Authority (WARMA), and the Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD), with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as the fund manager and is implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture.
