The Ministry of Local Government, Housing, Early Education and Environmental Protection of Zambia and the Global Mechanism (GM) are hosting a breakfast meeting on the theme: "Expanding Business Opportunities through Sustainable Land Management: A Leadership Dialogue with the Private Sector", on 3 February 2012, in Lusaka.
This breakfast meeting is being organized as part of the Government of Zambia’s efforts and commitment to engage the business community in an innovative partnership to support sustainable land management (SLM) in Zambia within the context of the Sixth National development Plan (SNDP) as well as Zambia’s vision 2020. It is novel in that it is the first meeting of its kind within the context of developing an integrated financing strategy (IFS) for SLM in the framework of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
The basic premise is that Zambia’s land resources play a vital role for both business and society because of the common values they embody. Land resources represent business opportunities by providing the basis for production processes and stimulating economic growth, revenue and employment.
Agriculture, tourism, forestry, mining and energy, for example, are all based on land resources, while the financial sector, trade and manufacturing although not directly land based have an important role to play in the way such land resources are managed. SLM may concurrently reduce business risks such as security, reputation, regulatory and policy risks as well as unsustainable supply of natural resources.
The private sector therefore has a potentially huge role to play in sustaining poverty reduction and growth, climate change adaptation, biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services provision and the overall achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
The meeting is therefore being convened with the specific objectives of:
- Initiating a platform for discussion among business leaders to promote dialogue and partnerships around SLM investment opportunities;
- Identifying potential roles for companies and corporations in advancing SLM in Zambia for example through awareness campaigns and possible champions;
- Facilitating information and knowledge sharing on investment opportunities and on products and instruments to finance sustainable land management ventures, initiatives and activities; and
- Creating teams to develop joint pilot projects, inclusive business models, public-private partnerships, community involvement, compensation schemes, public information campaigns and other capacity development initiatives to promote SLM.
The organizers expectations are that meeting will be a unique opportunity to discuss mutually beneficial objectives and shared values for the sustainable development of Zambia.
For more information:
Ms Elsie Attafuah, Programme Officer, East and Southern Africa
Tel. +39 06 5459 2577
e.attafuah (at) global-mechanism.org
