The National Communication

The National Communication in involves the establishment of greenhouse gases emission inventories and presenting details of what actions are being taken to abate greenhouse gas emission. The communication development process is being carried out by two institutions, the Centre for Energy, Environment and Engineering Zambia Limited and the Environmental Council of Zambia. The preparatory work is being carried out in a two phased manner. The first phase involved the Zambia Country Study on climate Change which culminate in the compilation of GHG emission inventories and mitigation options which mainly focused on the energy sector. The Environmental Council of Zambia was responsible for studies on vulnerability and adaptation.

Summary of Inventories

The Zambia Country Study on climate change established that in 1990 Zambia contributed 3.4 million tonnes of CO2 to the atmosphere which accounted for about 1% of Africaâs total emissions. Approximately 88% of these emissions were attributed to energy use. Industrial processes mainly cement and lime production and use accounted for 12% of CO2 emissions. In the energy sector, transportation contributed 29.5% of total CO2 emissions followed by mining with 15.8%.

Biomass fuels, waste and agriculture were the major sources of CH4. In 1990 a total of 457,000 tonnes of CH4 were emitted into the atmosphere. Agriculture predominantly through enteric fermentation contributed 20% followed by biomass burning with 16.5% and waste with 10%.

Total N2O emission mainly from agriculture amounted to 3,570 tonnes of H2O under land use change and forestry a total of 59.4 million tonnes were released through forest clearing, biomass decay and on site burning. However, in view of the large woodland potential there was in 1990 a net balance of 60 million tonnes of CO2 out of all emissions.

The total emissions per capita in 1990 were 2.5 tonnes and per unit GDP was 0.078 tonnes per US$.

Mitigation Options

Although on a global comparative basis the amount of CO2 emitted from sources in Zambia is minor, a greenhouse gas mitigation is being devised to manage CO2 emissions. In the domestic and industrial sectors mitigation options have been selected on the basis of surplus hydroelectricity (at 500 MW and localised deforestation due to tree cutting mainly for agriculture and charcoal production.

In the domestic sector, the main sources of energy are firewood and charcoal with firewood accounting for 70% of energy demand. Charcoal is used in the urban and peri-urban areas whereas firewood is used in the rural households. In 1990, 0.6 million and 1.3 million tonnes of charcoal and wood were consumed, respectively. The low efficiency of cookstoves calls for the consideration of more efficient charcoal stoves.

Only about 10% of the population has access to electricity. This diffusion rate calls for concerted efforts towards electrification to allow replacement of charcoal stoves with electric stoves.

Mitigation options in this sector include electrification of households to substitute electric for charcoal stoves, introduce coal briquettes, production of more efficient charcoal stoves, and improved traditional kilns. These options are aimed at reducing the pressure on forest degradation and reducing CO2 emissions from charcoal production.

In the industrial sector, where boilers and furnaces are in use, mitigation options considered are energy substitution and conservation. These mitigation options include substitution of heavy fuel oil- and diesel-fired boilers with electric boilers, extension of the national electric power grid to remote areas to replace diesel generators, and replacement of diesel pumps used for pumping crude oil with electric pumps. In the area of energy conservation, substituting a dry process for cement production is considered.

In the forest sector, the mitigation options considered are afforestation and improved management of natural vegetation, both of which would improve CO2 uptake.

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