Flood issues unresolved in Zambia

Masuzyo Chakwe in the Post Online (Zambia): Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) general secretary Reverend Suzanne Matale has warned that the worst is yet to come if the issue of floods is not tackled once and for all. And Lusaka City Council (LCC) public relations manager Chanda Makanta said there is a lot of political interference in the allocation of plots.

In an interview, Rev Matale said the issue of floods must be taken very seriously in view of climate change. She said there was need to find a permanent solution as the worst was yet to come if left unresolved. “We as Zambians and the government have a responsibility to plan for these problems for the next season. We need to look at the drainage system maintenance and bringing in of new ones. This will help in future,” she said.

Rev Matale said there must be a limit of growth for shanty compounds, which in most cases were illegal. “There is need to re-plan these settlements so that they include proper drainages because releasing money every year when we have these problems doesn't solve the problem. The entire planning system must be looked into. The worst is yet to come if we encourage these unplanned settlements,” she said.

Rev Matale said another solution could be to open up new settlements where the basic services would be provided. She cited compounds like Kanyama and Kuku where permanent solutions could be found.

…Zambia Institute of Planners (ZIP) president Simeo Siame last week said no amount of shifting families from one disaster location to another is ever going to provide a lasting solution to the problems of floods.

Siame said professional advice was abound on proper land use practices as well as environment protection and preservation, which by and large had been ignored by the same people who now felt that the government owed then restitution….