WFP appeals to the Japanese government to consider assisting SADC countries with information from their weather technology systems.

Tokyo, 10th June 2024—

The Japanese Parliamentary League World Food Program (WFP) have appealed to the Japanese government to consider assisting SADC countries with information from their weather technology systems to support the African countries’ preparedness to the effects of climate change such as the El-Nino.

The Parliamentarians stated that the information from the Japan space satellite will effectively contribute to the countries’ planning and enhance food security.

The remarks were made during the briefing on the El Nino emergencies in Southern Africa during the twenty-sixth session of the General Assembly of World Food Program (WFP)Parliamentary League of Japan.

WFP Japanese Parliamentary League Chief Secretary Dr. Kuniko Inoguchi stated that there is urgent need to assist the SADC countries especially the ones adversely hit by the El Nino with the technology system as it will provide detailed information and how to cope with the entire ecosystem and ensure sustainability.

Dr. Inoguchi, a parliamentarian and former minister for Gender Equality and Social Affairs explained that once obtained the information will guide on when to plant and what seeds varieties or crops to plant as well as provide a holistic information to boost the agricultural sector. “The new technology should be shared with all humanity and ensure sustainability and increased food production. As the TICAD 9 is coming up, there is need to put top priority on the issue as it is one of the strategies to mitigate the effects of the natural disasters and ensure no one is left behind.”, she said.

And WFP Parliamentary League President Masahiro Komura noted that many parliamentarians are committed to human development and pledge to support the cause. Zambia’s Ambassador to Japan Dr. Tobias Mulimbika says technological advancements is beneficial to Zambia and sits well with the country’s long-term vision of agricultural production. He said among the strategies put in place include water harvesting, irrigation facilities and water conservation among others and added that the new technology will contribute to further enhancing the implementation of the strategies.

The Ambassador noted that the country declared the drought experienced by the El Nino a national disaster that has threatened the country’s food security and affected over one million farmers. Dr. Mulimbika explained that the country will benefit from the Japanese government’s space satellite as one of the solutions to avert the effects of climate change and natural disasters. “It is very important that the country benefits from such technologies as it will help our farmers use the information to improve their farming activities by identifying what kind of crops to grow depending on the expected rainfall pattern predicted and when to plant medium to long term varieties”, he said.

The Ambassador further added that the information will help in preparing appropriate storage facilities after harvesting hence contributing to food security. “It is important as we talk about advancements in irrigation, acquiring machinery in agriculture but also we should be able to manage the weather information to maximise the benefits from the machineries and ensure they are effectively managed” he noted. Dr. Mulimbika has since expressed gratitude to the World Food Program for the support given to the country so far. WFP Deputy Regional Director for Southern Africa Ms. Adeyinka Badejo explained that there is need to leverage the technology information to all the farmers in severely affected countries namely Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and Botswana. Ms. Badejo further added the need to acquaint the system and disseminate the information through the government systems provided.She said the information will go a long way in supporting the development of the countries and reduce food imports.