Raise awareness on climate change

today.
Zimbabwe has taken the issue seriously too by virtue of its participation at major international conferences targeting to fight climate change including the landmark Earth Summit in Brazil in 1992.
The country also signed the Kyoto Protocol in 2009 and during the years in between, it has made several efforts in addressing climate change including the promulgation of legislation on environment.
Zimbabwe even banned the use of plastic carrier bags early this year labelling them an environmental hazard and a nuisance in the nation’s “clean streets”.
Enforcement of this ban and other bans is something we will look at in later instalments.
The issue is that steps have been taken in turning the economy green. But do the people understand this entire concept of greening the economy?
Do they even know what climate change is and its implications on their livelihoods?
From where I am standing all this is just one of the technical jargon used by environmentalists in their numerous reports.
The common man seems not to understand or rather care to know what climate change is all about except for the change in daily weather.
Put simply, climate change is a result of rising world temperatures, also known as global warming that has seen an increase in natural disasters such as floods, droughts, heat waves and storms.
These changes have caused devastating effects on the planet and have resultantly destabilised rainfall patterns, agriculture and the ecosystem.
Climate change is a direct result of human actions over thousands of years exacerbated by the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
World leaders have responded by crafting concepts such as the green economy.
This is an attempt to inspire economies and society to adopt and implement sustainable development as the lynchpin to mitigate the effects of climate change.
In Zimbabwe the issues of climate change remain vague and a lot of work needs to be done to raise awareness on this critical matter.
There was a lot of resistance from people and business on the free plastic bag ban.
People did not even understand the noble intentions behind the motive.
In Uganda and South Africa, people and business pay hefty fines and could face lengthy jail terms for using banned plastic carrier bags.
However, it is also not very clear whether the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Management raised sufficient awareness in preparing the public for the ban.
There is a raging debate right now over the importation of second-hand vehicles that are over five years old.
The premise from the responsible ministry is to cut down on the high pollution common in ageing vehicles.
While the Ministry of Environment is working to encourage the adoption of eco-friendly practices, the unit has its own severe limitations.
It does not have a functioning website in a world where information communication technologies are playing a major role in the dissemination of information.
A search for the website links you to the old ministry (Ministry of Environment and Tourism) with outdated information.
It even quotes currency in Zimbabwe dollars that ceased to be legal tender two and a half years ago.
This is a disservice to the people of Zimbabwe who are among the top Internet users in Africa.
It is also a betrayal to the ministry’s own mandate in the provision of reliable and timely information about climate change.
Little can be expected from the targeted economic agents who are supposed to drive the green economy initiative.
A report based on the Kadoma Roundtable on climate change compiled by the Ministry of Environment acknowledges the deficiencies existing in Zimbabwe’s climate change strategies.
It notes that “climate change has not attracted enough attention from a wide cross-section of our society including political leaders”.
“There is need for capacitating legislators to comprehend climate change issues through targeted awareness campaigns and workshops.”
People have little knowledge of climate change issues and massive public awareness is needed.
It will also be critical to address climate change from grassroots by introducing a stand-alone curriculum from primary right through to tertiary level.
Information on climate must be freely and readily accessible to schools, NGOs, parastatals and Government departments.
All the responsible stakeholders must realise that climate change is not a circus. It is a genuine threat to our modern lifestyle and people need not look far back to be reminded of this.
The catastrophic effects of the Cyclone Eline in 2000 are still evident in some parts of the country today such as collapsed bridges in Chipinge and Muzarabani, which to this day have not been repaired.
But Zimbabwe already has structures in place targeted at fighting climate change such as the Environmental Management Act.
This should be put to full use, not only when tackling illegal gold panning, but also in arresting the free flow of raw sewage into main water sources, deforestation, litter and veld fires.
Industrial pollution such as that emanating from the use of coal as an energy source must be bridled and at the same time encourage research into new clean energies such as solar power and natural gases.
In all this, funding will be important.
There was a US$6,4 billion climate investment fund waiting to be disbursed at the World Bank at the end of last year.
Zimbabwe can tap into this fund as long as it provides a clear cut and sustainable development plan.
God is faithful.
l Let’s share ideas on the climate story. Send email to [email protected]