Resilience Fund to benefit 450 000 households

Precious Manomano

Herald Reporter

About 450 000 households in Zimbabwe are set to benefit from the newly launched Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund (ZRBF) Phase 2.

The ZRBF is a collaboration between the Government, UNDP and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). It aims at bolstering resilience against climate shocks, promoting sustainable livelihoods, and strengthening disaster risk governance.

Covering seven rural districts such as Binga, Kariba, Mbire, Hurungwe, Mwenezi, Chiredzi, and Beitbridge the programme seeks to make a major impact by 2028. The ZRBF Phase 2 is backed by an estimated budget of US$17,24 million, funded by the European Union and other partners.

It builds on the successes of Phase 1, which provided vital support to over 1 million people, with 62 percent being women and 25 percent youth, helping them cope with the challenges posed by climate change.

Launched in 2015, the ZRBF emerged from a partnership involving the Government, UNDP, the EU, and the Embassy of Sweden.

It has since evolved into the largest resilience-building programme in Zimbabwe, reaching 18 rural districts and making strides in enhancing community resilience in a multi-shock environment.

During the official launch of Phase 2 in Harare yesterday, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development permanent secretary, Professor Obert Jiri, underscored the importance of resilience-building in achieving national development goals outlined in NDS1 and Vision 2030.

FAO resident representative, Dr Patrice Talla, said the overarching goals of this project will lower the impact of natural disasters in at-risk communities in Zimbabwe.

“Our aim is to build resilience in vulnerable rural communities, ensure sustainable natural resource management for climate action, improve food and nutrition security, and mitigate the impacts of natural disasters in at-risk areas,” he said.

The Ambassador of Ireland to Zimbabwe, Austin Gormley, expressed optimism regarding the programme’s potential to address climate-related challenges.

Ambassador of the European Union Jobst von Kirchmann, reflected on the past and future impact of the project, emphasising that resilience building must be a joint, long-term effort.

“By working together and building on past successes, we can create lasting, positive change,” he said.