District commissioner (DC) for Kasungu James Kanyangalazi says interventions in the Enhanced Public Works Programme (EPWP) are very crucial in dealing with effects of climate change.

Speaking during a four day Kasungu district Council training for frontline staff on soil and water conservation and nursery establishment and management currently underway, Kanyangalazi said the country mostly relies on rain fed agriculture which is becoming problematic due to degraded and climate change.

The DC said with the sub projects that have been identified it is possible to reclaim the land and harvest more.

“Most of the land is now degraded and cannot produce like before. But with interventions like soil and water conservation and afforestation it is possible reclaim the degraded land and harvest more,” said Kanyangalazi.

He said after the training the frontline staff should go back to their catchment areas and impart the knowledge to fellow staff and also the community.

The DC also reminded the officers that EPWP being a pilot project, the success of the project will benefit other districts where it can be scaled up.

According to the district EPWP coordinator Chikumbutso Liwonde the sub projects that have been identified in the district’s five catchment areas include soil and water conservation, dams rehabilitation, counter marker ridge construction, afforestation, natural regeneration management, roads maintenance, fish pond construction and gully reclamation among others.

One of the participants to the training Thoko Supayo said the training has come at a right time as the extension workers are gaining new skills and knowledge.

“In EPWP some of the approaches are new so it means when we go back we will tell the communities the real issues that they have to know,” said Supayo.

With problems like not fully meeting the needs of the participants like having no significant support on enhanced income and food security among others in the previous PWP programmes there was need to have a new approach for the program which is now being piloted as EPWP in the 10 districts through the National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC).