adminZIMBABWE has slashed its budget for the environment, water and climate by 44 percent to $52,7 million from $93,5 million a year ago, measures that will hurt work towards combating environmental damage, or building resilience, at a time of fast changing climates. This is the second straight year this has happened since the creation of a line ministry, which includes for the first time the term “Climate” in its title, budgeting for specific climate change projects was neglected.
While climate resilience may be addressed through budget items on dam construction and irrigation expansion, the absence of dedicated climate change budgeting continues to hinder action on tackling climate impacts.
Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa announced the cuts during the 2015 National Budget presentation in Parliament on November 27, but also revealed encouraging plans for designing a Climate Resilient National Water Resources and Irrigation Master Plan.
Unfortunately, the minister failed to accommodate the master plan in his accounts, hoping that the $5 million needed for the World Bank-recommended project would come from unnamed development partners.
However, if developed, and working together with the National Climate Policy, the master plan may help strengthen or build resilience in the climate-sensitive sectors of water and agriculture.
Mr Chinamasa said: “The main objective of the master plan will be to support the development of a structured programme of climate-resilient investments for the development and management of water resources and irrigation infrastructure in Zimbabwe.”
This will see capital expenditure on key water development issues, as administered by the Zimbabwe National Water Authority, falling 48,2 percent to $39,3 million from $76,1 million a year earlier, according to the 2015 Estimates of Expenditure.
Not withstanding, at 76 percent of the Environment, Water and Climate Ministry total budget for 2015, water management and development still constitute the bulk of the allocation.
This also shows Government’s long- standing deliberate strategy of prioritising water ahead of major related sub-sectors like forestry, the environment and lately climate change.
Emerging trends that have seen an unprecedented escalation in devastating climate events means direct funds for climate change will require immediate main streaming.
For those funds earmarked towards water in next year’s Budget, $24,4 million will be used for ongoing dam construction, maintenance or expansion projects at Tokwe-Mukosi, Osborne, Semwa and Mutange.
Some $14,9 million is heading into water supply programmes in six towns or rural councils including the Victoria Falls, Beitbridge, Lupane and Guruve.
Dam construction is an important aspect to boosting water provision and efficiency, as this creates opportunity for irrigation.
With irrigation, communities can build strong defences against climate change-induced water shortages, already noticed to be affecting crop output, and by extension, household food security.
In meteorology, cloud seeding – a process of stimulating rain through science – received $400 000. This intervention is crucial given Zimbabwe’s rapidly changing rainfall patterns that have spawned droughts, sometimes in back to back seasons.
For capital projects, the Environmental Management Agency will get $19 million from “other resources” and the same applies for the Parks and Wildlife Authority that will pick up $3,8 million.
Nearly half-a-million million dollars of this amount will be used to purchase vehicles to boost anti-poaching response.
Illegal killings of endangered animal species such as the rhino and elephant arguably rank top of the conservation ills faced by Zimbabwe today. The Wildlife Authority needs all the help it can get.
Transfers to the Forestry Commission have dropped to $2,5 million from $4,6 million. By the end of October, the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate had spent just $44,2 million of its 2014 Budget.
I am uncertain whether to commend the ministry for being prudent in managing its finances or rebuke them for failing to effectively utilise the allocation given the breadth and depth of the environmental work shouting for immediate attention or Treasury didn’t release the full funding?
At the time of publication of 2014 National Budget last year, the Environment Ministry had overrun its much bigger 2013 Budget of $101 million by $660 000.
Now, climate change is greatly disruptive and comes at great socio-economic cost. The failure by Government to mainstream climate change into the Budget process despite recognising its difficult complex impacts is retarding efforts at building climate resilience among vulnerable communities countrywide.
By underfunding climate change and reacting slowly to the problems brewed by the science, Government is actually stalling economic growth and fermenting social suffering.
However, the problem of inadequate climate change funding does not lie with Mr Chinamasa alone.
It poignantly depicts a political and economic system that has over many years dragged its feet on effectively addressing the challenge of rapidly changing climates at policy level.
Zimbabwe has only recently begun consultations for formulating a National Climate Policy, an essential document to operationalising the National Climate Change Response Strategy.
At least $325 000 is needed to wrap up the climate policy, but the Budget was silent on the matter.
It seems as though Government is waiting for someone else to come and perform functions that are duly expected of it.
And such benevolence usually extends from development agencies such as the UN Development Programme or COMESA.
And again, as with the 2014 fiscal statement, this year’s Budget gives the impression that climate change is a less important sub-sector better addressed by tackling inefficiencies in other broader environmental heads such as forestry, water and meteorology.
While it may be true that climate change results from a cycle of different anti-environment activities from numerous economic sectors, the Budget’s impression is wrong and uncomforting.
God is faithful.
Online Reporter