Online Reporter
Theseus Mauruki Shambare
BULAWAYO will next week host a high-level Southern African Development Community (SADC) ministerial meeting that is expected to shape regional policies on climate resilience, transport connectivity, digital transformation and meteorological services.
The SADC Cluster Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Transport, ICT, Information and Meteorology will run from June 22 to 26, bringing together ministers, senior government officials, technical experts and development partners from across the region.
The meeting, convened by the SADC Secretariat and hosted by the Government of Zimbabwe, comes at a time when Southern African countries are grappling with increasingly frequent extreme weather events, infrastructure vulnerabilities and growing demands for improved regional connectivity.
According to the Meteorological Services Department (MSD), the gathering will provide member states with an opportunity to review progress, strengthen cooperation and advance policies aimed at building resilient, connected and sustainable economies.
As Zimbabwe’s national meteorological authority, MSD will play a key role in discussions on strengthening weather and climate services, improving early warning systems and expanding regional data-sharing mechanisms.
The department said deliberations will also explore the use of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), to improve weather forecasting and disaster risk management.
“The meeting comes at a critical time as SADC Member States continue to confront the growing impacts of extreme weather events, alongside increasing demands on transport and digital infrastructure,” MSD said in a statement.
Delegates are expected to focus on four strategic pillars: modernising regional transport corridors to facilitate trade and economic integration, accelerating ICT connectivity and digital transformation, strengthening meteorological and early warning systems, and promoting innovative technologies in infrastructure planning and resilience-building.
Preparatory engagements will begin with a Joint Meeting of Senior Officials from June 22 to 24, where technical recommendations and policy positions will be consolidated ahead of ministerial deliberations.
A High-Level Ministerial Roundtable will be held on June 25 under the theme of liberalised skies and AI-enabled, climate-resilient infrastructure as catalysts for regional integration, economic growth and sustainable development.
MSD said Zimbabwe’s participation reflects the country’s commitment to strengthening meteorological services and promoting science-based decision-making to protect lives, property and livelihoods from weather-related hazards.
The outcomes of the meeting are expected to contribute to the implementation of SADC’s regional development agenda by fostering stronger collaboration across transport, ICT, information and meteorological sectors, while placing innovation, resilience and sustainable infrastructure at the centre of regional development planning.
