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Elita Chikwati and Lynn Munjanja
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) yesterday handed over 26 automated weather stations, 10 automatic rainfall stations, and 10 real-time gauging stations to the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development.
This was part of efforts to increase the country’s resilience to climate crisis that has negatively impacted on agricultural productivity and profitability.
The Automated Weather Stations and Automatic Rainfall Stations will support the generation of meteorological data at the Meteorological Services Department, while the Near Real-Time Gauging Stations will be used by the Zimbabwe National Water Authority to generate hydrological data by measuring river flows.
The equipment, which is valued at US$555 000, is part of UNDP’s support from the Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund (ZRBF) and GCF funded – Building Climate Resilience of Vulnerable Agricultural Livelihoods in Southern Zimbabwe.
UNDP resident representative Mr Elliman Jagne said the equipment was purchased under the Green Climate Funded – ‘Building climate resilience of vulnerable agricultural livelihoods in Southern Zimbabwe’ and the Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund projects.
“This partnership is aimed at advancing the national climate resilience building agenda where Zimbabwe, like most parts of sub-Saharan Africa, is perennially affected by one or several hydro meteorological hazards impacting heavily on rain-fed agricultural production systems and often with grim consequences on socio-economic development,” he said.
This occasion comes at a critical juncture where the country has promulgated several agrarian reform policies and strategies, including the agriculture and food systems transformation strategy, livestock growth plan, maize, wheat and soyabean recovery plan in line with the economic growth trajectory of a middle-income society by 2030.
“Climate information systems are, therefore, key in advancing the climate action and adaptation impact potential for the country.”
Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development’s strategic planning and business development chief director, Mr Clemence Bwenje, said the equipment would improve access to climate information and will contribute to the much-needed upgrading of the meteorological radar seismology.
“The equipment will greatly advance the generation and dissemination of appropriate climate and weather information to small holder farmers for climate risk informed water and agriculture management in project districts,” he said.
“This will contribute to the much needed upgrading of the national meteorological radar seismology and weather station network priority under NDS1. I wish to congratulate UNDP, GCF, ZRBF for your continued support to agriculture. This is in keeping with our quest for delivery as one, for one Zimbabwe.”
Green Climate Fund project manager Ms Alerta Nyahuye said the equipment was going to be a blessing to farmers.
“Farmers, especially women, are supposed to cater for their families so it will guide them on which crops they are supposed to grow in that particular year,” she said.
“UNDP is known for contributing to sustainable development goals in Zimbabwe and we are very grateful for that.” The partnership is aimed at advancing the national climate resilience building agenda where Zimbabwe, like most parts of sub-Saharan Africa, is perennially affected by one or several hydro-meteorological hazards impacting heavily on rain-fed agricultural production systems and often with grim consequences on socio-economic development.
The country has promulgated several agrarian reform policies and strategies, including the agriculture and food systems transformation strategy, livestock growth plan, maize, wheat and soyabean recovery plan in line with the economic growth trajectory of a middle-income society by 2030.
Climate information systems are key in advancing the climate action and adaptation impact potential for the country.
Online Reporter
Peter Tanyanyiwa