Zambia’s top researchers pioneer solutions for climate resilience, food security, economic growth

Project Titles & Institution

1. Investigating and Demonstrating the use of Biochar in Sustainable Agriculture as a Potential Input for Enhancing Low Soil Fertility and improving animal feed efficiency challenges in Smallholder Farming in Mozambique and Zambia, Dr. Kafula Chisanga, ZARI, Choma (Sustainable Agriculture Practices)
2. Solar based irrigation business model ‘pay as go irrigate’ for empowerment, water management and food security in Mozambique-Zambia, Dr. Sam Sichilalu, University of Zambia (Renewable Energy).
3. Soil extracted microbes for bio fertilizers: Nature’s options for climate resilient crop production systems’. The Zambian Principal Investigator is Dr. Ikabongo Mukumbuta, from Golden Valley Agricultural Research Trust (GART), in Chisamba.
4. Recovery and mineral value addition of copper in tailings from the Zambian Copperbelt; Dr. Precious Chisala, Copperbelt University, School of Mines and Mineral Sciences.
5. Enhancement of the electric vehicle battery manufacturing value chain through technological innovation, adaptation, and modification of existing technologies that will help Zambia enter the electric vehicle battery manufacturing industry; PI: Dr. Jewetti Masinja, University of Zambia, School of Mines.

Areas of Research

• Sustainable agriculture practices & renewable energy
• Climate-smart agriculture technologies
• Mineral value addition

Number of Projects being funded

• 5 projects (1 collaborative with Namibia, 2 with Moz, 2 national)

Project Duration

• 15 months

Grant Amount

• 577,500 ZMW each project

In-Kind Distribution

• 2,400,000 ZMW

Council

• National Science and Technology Council (NSTC)

Collaboration with other councils

• Namibia and Mozambique