Chronicle Editor
Desmond Nleya, Chronicle Reporter
THE African Development Bank has approved a grant amounting to nearly US$700 000 to capacitate Zimbabwe to manage disasters such as droughts, floods and tropical cyclones.
In a statement, the bank said the grant will cover training for various national agencies involved in disaster risk management and finance contingency planning.
“The Board of the African Development Fund (ADF) on Wednesday approved a $685 000 grant to strengthen Zimbabwe’s capacity to manage disaster risks, including droughts, floods and tropical cyclones, through the Bank’s Africa Disaster Risk Financing (ADRiFi) programme. The grant will cover training for various national agencies involved in disaster risk management and financing and contingency planning as part of the Africa Disaster Risk Financing (ADRiFi) project designed to enhance the response of regional Member Countries to climate disasters and promote innovative disaster risk finance instruments such as disaster risk insurance”, the bank said in a statement.
“It will also benefit populations at risk of exposure to extreme drought events, particularly smallholder farmers and vulnerable rural communities. ADF is the concessionary lending arm of the African Development Bank Group. In collaboration with the Bank, the African Risk Capacity, a specialised agency of the African Union, will provide in-kind contribution for trainings estimated at around $320 000. The project will run for two years starting from March 2020.”
The bank said extreme weather resulting in prolonged dry spells, droughts, floods and tropical cyclones have affected agricultural production and disrupted livelihoods in rural Zimbabwe.
“Coupled with harsh economic challenges, these extreme weather events increase household vulnerability, food insecurity, chronic poverty and malnutrition across the country,” added the statement.
It said the project demonstrates the bank’s continued support for Zimbabwe at a time the Government is working towards reviving the economy.
“The project demonstrates the bank’s continued support to the country while the Government is working to reform the economy. The bank is committed to leveraging support from other partners to successfully implement the project,” it said.
At the moment, the country is grappling with a drought that has resulted in shortage of food in some areas.
The drought, worsened by the unfavourable economic conditions in the country, is estimated to have exposed more than five million people in rural areas and about three million urban dwellers to extreme vulnerability and food insecurity in the first half of 2020.
In March last year, Zimbabwe, together with Mozambique and Malawi were hit by Cyclone Idai resulting in deaths of hundreds of people and extensive damage to infrastructure. — @ Desmond Ndazi
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