Chronicle Editor
Prosper Ndlovu, Business Editor
ENVIRONMENTAL experts have called for strengthening of information sharing on climate adaptation with a focus on enhancing higher grassroot involvement towards building adequate resilience and effective community project implementation.
Zimbabwe is already grappling with the adverse effects of climate change, a global phenomenon that is increasingly becoming a threat to ordinary people’s livelihoods and national economy.
Working closely with environment and climate experts, development partners and academics, the Government is spearheading a National Adaptation Plan (NAP) to assist the country in identifying comprehensive medium to long-term climate adaptation approaches.
Discussing these issues at a climate change workshop held in Bulawayo yesterday to validate outputs related to prioritisation and costing of adaptation options, climate experts stressed the need to devolve mitigation interventions to ensure higher impact on affected communities.
“Climate change adaptation must be grassroot-led. There is a need to localise these interventions and prioritise training so that communities are able to identify their top needs in a particular context,” said Dr Nqobizitha Dube, a lecturer from the National University of Science and Technology (Nust), who is a member of the NAP team.
He said a grassroot-led model will be effective in ensuring feasible and successful implementation of climate mitigation projects at provincial, district and even ward levels.
Climate change scientist and NAP readiness co-ordinator, Ms Emily Matingo, said community-driven mitigation approaches would yield positive results, but stressed the need for adequate financing.
She suggested that local authorities could utilise devolution funding allocations from central Government to drive some climate-proofing projects.
Representing Parliament of Zimbabwe, Mr Nesbert Samu said climate change adaptation and resilience were a national priority and reminded participants about a circular from Government directing all ministries to mainstream the climate change fight.
He also urged provinces and local authorities to channel devolution funds as well as constituency development funds towards addressing negative climate change effects.
Professor Sara Feresu from the University of Zimbabwe weighed in by calling for interrogation of national budget allocations to ensure adequate financing of climate adaptation projects.
A representative from Oxfam Zimbabwe, which is focused on developing small holder farmers’ productive capacity, stressed the importance of tracking evolving innovation models and adoption of interventions that speak to climate change adaptation.
Others called for proper land use management to avert land degradation and soil erosion, which also exacerbate climate change effects on communities.
There were also calls to adoption and development of low-cost and efficient irrigation systems to enhance local food security capacity, among other critical support infrastructure.
District Development — took the opportunity at the meeting to highlight challenges their communities are facing as a result of climate change.
These include lack of access to water, depleting pastures, exposure to flooding and the need to strengthen irrigation systems.
The meeting was organised by the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry.
Online Reporter