The Eastern Province Jurisdictional Sustainable Landscape Program (EP-JSLP) has commenced the data collection exercise aimed at tracking Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions through an integrated Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) system.
Speaking during an orientation held in Chipata district at Protea Holtel for officers drawn from the Ministries of Agriculture, Forestry, and Livestock, EP-JSLP Programme Coordinator Noel Muchimba stated that the exercise will cover all fourteen districts of the Eastern Province, including nested areas within the program’s jurisdiction.
Mr. Muchimba emphasized the importance of the MRV system in ensuring accurate tracking of emission reductions and progress, which was key to promoting transparency and accountability in climate action.
He said the MRV system will focus on emissions from Agriculture, forestry management, land-use changes, and energy use on managed lands.
“We have mobilized trained sectoral teams to carry out field data collection in agriculture, energy, forestry, and land use. These teams include officers from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry Department, Department of Energy, Zambia Agricultural Research Institute (ZARI), Department of Physical Planning, Survey Department, and the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA)”
Speaking at the same event, EP-JSLP MRV Technical Officer Asumani Arthur noted that in the forestry sector, data collection will concentrate on 51 clusters that were inaccessible during the 2024 monitoring period. He said this effort aims to enhance the completeness and accuracy of forest carbon stock data.
Mr. Asumani also highlighted that the Department of Energy and Forestry Department will work together to quantify biomass fuel emissions and monitor energy consumption patterns at both household and institutional levels.
The EP-JSLP was implementing the Emission Reduction Program using the Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use (AFOLU) approach, focusing on sectors that are key sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the province.
ENDS.