Establishing effective partnership and cooperation for climate resilience in Zambia

4th of June, 2021

The Zambian Road Development Agency hosted the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding binding the road transport sector and national centres of excellence into a mutually beneficial partnership

The Zambian Road Development Agency (RDA) recently hosted the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding binding the road transport sector and national centres of excellence into a mutually beneficial partnership in support of enhanced climate change awareness, climate resilience and adaptation.

The signatories to the MoU are the Government of the Republic of Zambia represented by the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Road Development Agency, the Road Transport and Safety Agency and the four centres of engaged excellence: the National Council for Construction, the Copperbelt University, Mulungushi University and the University of Zambia. NTU International was a signatory by virtue of its Project inputs up to mid-2021.

The initiative was developed by NTU International through the Nordic Development Fund-supported Project “Consulting Services for the Development of Climate Resilient Infrastructure Standards and Codes for the Transport Sector in Zambia”. It has short, medium and long term objectives. Over the period to the end of the Project in mid-2021 the focus was on developing organisational and cross-organisational learning, delivering training and capacity development, and training sector trainers – in short, laying the grounds for all future actions.

In the longer term the CoEE intends to contribute to desired climate resilient futures through:

• Research and design with an emphasis on adaptive design techniques,
• Disseminating findings and developments through short and long courses,
• Advocacy campaigns directed towards key stakeholder groups, including government, politicians, communities and vulnerable groups,
• Over time, developing broader links with other infrastructure sectors – e.g. energy, water – that will contribute to a resilient Zambia,
• Developing links with international universities, leading to enhanced accreditation of Zambian courses; and the opportunity to draw on relevant data and on solutions that can be adapted and applied in Zambia.

Recognising its transdisciplinary nature, the Centre of Engaged Excellence will adhere to the conventional principles of ethical practice in order to protect the dignity, rights and welfare of participants.

The Centre of Engaged Excellence collaborators will work towards a shared understanding of capacity issues and development solutions and in so doing co-produce training and learning approaches and contribute to climate resilience research and development in the road transport sector to the mutual benefit of all parties and to the country as a whole.

Government, through the Ministry of transport and Communications and the Road Development Agency pledge to provide financial support to sustain the CoEE and seek other sources of financial support.