CABINET’S warning that the 2026/2027 farming season could once again be hit by an El Niño-induced drought should immediately force the country into a serious conversation about preparedness. This is not the first time Zambia has received such a warning, and it is certainly not the first time that an El Niño weather pattern has threatened agriculture, energy and food security. What should concern us now is whether we learnt enough from the last disaster to avoid repeating the same cycle of panic, emergency appeals and desperate dependence on cooperating partners once the damage has already been done. Let’s backtrack to the devastating El Niño drought which forced President Hakainde Hichilema to declare a national disaster and emergency in the...