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Sifelani Tsiko
Agric, Environment & Innovations Editor
People in 11 wards of the cyclone and drought prone Chimanimani district are set to benefit from a new US$1,7 million project to help them build resilience against natural disasters.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) – funded Resilience Building for Chimanimani Communities (RBCC) project will be implemented by Practical Action over a 15 – month period reaching some 32 000 vulnerable community members in this district in eastern Zimbabwe.
Practical Action’s interim country director said Emmanuel Madhara told the Herald on Tuesday that the project would provide support to affected communities to help them make the transition from disaster recovery to long-term climate resilience.
“The RBCC project will improve the early recovery and resilience of rural Zimbabweans living in Chimanimani. We appreciate the financial support that we have received from USAID for this cause,” he said.
“In partnership with local government structures, the project will strengthen community responses to climate hazards through raising awareness of existing disaster plans and policies.”
Under this project, smallholder farmers will revive or establish community nutrition gardens with the goal to improve household food security, dietary diversity, and livelihoods.
Other livelihood activities will include fish and livestock production, improved access to finance through revitalisation and creation of savings and lending groups for vulnerable households.
The project will also cover rehabilitation activities that will restore climate – smart landscapes and build community resilience.
The country’s eastern districts are periodically affected by cyclones, droughts, floods and related landslides which lead to loss of lives, destruction of crops, livestock and key infrastructure.
Climate change has increased both the frequency and intensity of tropical storms and cyclones in this eastern region on the border with Mozambique.
Tropical Cyclone Idai, the worst in more than 50 years, brought heavy rainfall and strong winds to Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe between March 5 and 19 2019, causing severe flooding which led to loss of lives, destruction of infrastructure, disruption of livelihoods and destruction of crops.
This cyclone killed 251 people and caused 183 injuries and 354 hospitalizations while more than 1 600 people were internally displaced in Chimanimani district.
The cyclone also resulted in the destruction of over 10 irrigation schemes, disrupted agricultural activities and rural livelihoods while more than 347km of road networks in the district were rendered unusable for months.
This affected people’s access to markets, disrupted their livelihoods and access to health care.
Several local and international NGOs have implemented a number of projects to build resilience in Chimanimani and Chipinge, two districts that were hardest hit by the extreme weather event.
Most of the projects have covered reducing future vulnerability of the communities through improving early warning and flood monitoring systems, enhancing access to clean and potable water, ecosystem services management, livestock and crop production.
Online Reporter