Call for Proposals: Voices for Just Climate Action Program (Zambia)

Deadline: 10-May-24
The Hivos People Unlimited welcomes proposals from organizations, collectives, and coalitions registered and based in Zambia to partner in delivering the Voice for Just Climate Action program to scale up Zambia climate action response targeting vulnerable communities.

This action recognizes that climate change is not only an environmental problem but also a societal challenge that brings in ethical and human rights issues. Climate change affects the enjoyment of indivisible, interdependent and interrelated human rights, hitting the most vulnerable the hardest and threatening to increase existing inequalities between the rich and poor, ethnicities, sexes, generations and communities. The greatest burden falls on those already in poverty and on underrepresented groups such as Indigenous peoples, the rural and urban poor, women and youth, although they are the least responsible for climate change.

The organizations can be grassroots-based or national based or umbrella bodies working around climate change adaptation and advocacy especially with a focus on women, youth, urban poor, rural communities, and marginalized groups.

Partners will support the creation of multi-stakeholder platforms to co-create, document and advocate for local solutions, linking and strengthening existing social and grassroots movements around climate action, Public-Private-Community-Partnerships (PPCs) such as informal social audits by bringing the community, particularly those most vulnerable, and duty bearers together on issues of climate change to influence policy.

Vision                                             

• A Zambia where civil society is heard & respected by influencing & co-creating locally relevant, inclusive and fundable climate solutions that deliver real benefits to people & nature as part of a local & global response to this crisis.

Thematic Areas

• VCA targets five key thematic areas; water, food, energy, health and gender in relation to climate change. These thematic areas will thus form the basis of the climate action which is focused on advocacy while emphasizing a rights-based and intersectionality approach to amplify civil society voices in climate action.
  • Water: Strengthening the resilience of natural freshwater and critical human water systems to reduce risks for communities facing high water stress, inadequate water quality, and impacted by floods and droughts
  • Food: Innovative food system approaches to improve access to sustainable, diverse, and nutritious food and ensure food security. Sustainable agriculture which addresses the threat to livelihoods and food and nutrition security through crop failures resulting from climate impacts
  • Energy: Strengthening energy security of Zambians in the face of energy shortages as hydroelectric power is exposed to the variability of rainy seasons. Addressing the unsustainable use of natural resources resulting in deforestation as the rural and urban poor continue to depend on wood fuel for energy
  • Health: Strengthening the capacity of urban poor communities to cope with climate-related hazards resulting from poor access to sanitation and drinking water, inadequate solid waste management and insufficient infrastructure for water and sanitation which leads to disease outbreaks, particularly during flooding episodes
  • Gender and Social Inclusion: Strengthening the feminist and transformational leadership capacity of CSOs, women’s networks and youth groups to amplify their voices for inclusive, rights based and just climate transition. Recognizing that the socio-economic and political challenges that communities face are interlinked and therefore, that the solutions to emerging challenges such as the climate crisis require an intersectional approach for the overall scaling of climate solutions, especially for women.

Funding Information

• Project Size: Up to €71,000

Target Groups

• The target group of the VCA intervention in Zambia is centered around those who are most vulnerable to climate change impacts: women, youth, urban poor, rural communities, and marginalized groups. Women, young people and other marginalized groups often have critical perspectives on power structures and alternative approaches to the climate crisis. This Alliance sees harnessing these diverse perspectives, alternative approaches and women’s leadership as key to ensure the voices of marginalized groups are heard.

Outcomes

• Hivos encourages applications from coalitions of local civil society actors (including formal and informal CSOs, CBOs, FBOs, grassroots organizations, local climate action champions etc). Coalitions should include unusual groups and bridge divides (national-local, urban-rural, gender, youth), to amplify the voices for just climate action especially in relation to the following outcomes:
  • Local civil society and marginal group capacity and collective action are strengthened for an inclusive policy dialogue and leadership for climate solutions.
  • Powerful narrative and shared platform established to effectively amplify the voice of local and national level civil society for just transition.
  • Locally-shaped climate solutions (including local food systems, decentralized renewable energy, nature-based solutions, new financial schemes, technology innovation and access, local knowledge and wisdom, governance of natural resources) are documented, formally recognized and adopted.

Geographic Focus

• VCA operates in the Lower Kafue Basin and Lusaka Province regions across 10 Districts namely; Luangwa, Rufunsa, Chongwe, Lusaka, Kafue, Chirundu, Siavonga, Chikankata, Mazabuka and Itezhi Tezhi. This call for proposals will consider applications covering the areas Luangwa, Rufunsa, Chongwe, Lusaka and Kafue.
• The Lower Kafue basin, located 50km from Lusaka city, is directly linked to the climate resilience of the Lusaka province. It provides 50% of Zambia’s national hydroelectricity supply, 46% of Lusaka’s water supply, supports the livelihoods of more than 900,000 people (esp. cattle ranchers), a hub for sugar cane production, sustains vital ecological systems, and hosts one of Zambia’s most productive wild fisheries, supplying both urban and rural markets with an annual estimated value of US $30 million.
• A healthy and sustainable Lower Kafue landscape is therefore an important lifeline for the city of Lusaka. The realization of this clear link between these two areas is the driver for change. A healthy functioning Lower Kafue and Lusaka is not lost yet. There is an opportunity to turn the tide and redirect developments in the region towards ecological and economic sound investment propositions for a greater climate resilient Zambia.

Who is eligible to apply?

• Locally registered non-profit Zambian organizations.
• Coalitions, networks, consortiums, and alliances with at least one locally registered non-profit Zambian organization with sufficient operational and financial management experience.
• Applicant with a clean human rights record.
• Applicant with track record on developing and advocating for locally shaped climate solutions.
• Applicant with ability to link to and mobilize larger networks or capacity to access, mobilize, convene, and influence power holders.
• It will be considered favorable if the coalitions/organizations:
  • Have prior experience carrying out activities in priority areas (water-food-energy-health nexus).
  • Includes actors not traditionally working in climate justice issues, but that have skills and tools which are relevant and/or scalable.
  • Reflects a diverse perspective and inter sectionality approach which will enhance participation and strengthen the wider climate justice movement and advocacy.
  • Led by or who work with women groups, youth, persons with disabilities, or other marginalized groups.
  • Willing to collaborate with other actors to influence stronger impacts and to build capacity over time and jointly develop and implement a capacity strengthening plan.
• They encourage proposals that seek to engage the following minoritized groups:
  • People with disabilities
  • Youth
  • Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual and Intersex People
  • Women and women groups
  • The elderly/senior citizens
  • Indigenous people and ethnic minorities

For more information, visit Hivos People Unlimited.