Rumbidzayi Zinyuke
Senior Reporter
Zimbabwe is developing an anticipatory action protocol that will allow the Government and its partners to mobilise resources and implement interventions before the full effects of the forecast El Niño-induced drought are felt.
The protocol is being developed at a four-day multi-stakeholder workshop convened by the Food and Nutrition Council (FNC) in Harare this week, bringing together Government ministries, departments and agencies, development partners, academia and humanitarian organisations.
The initiative comes as the Meteorological Services Department forecasts normal to below-normal rainfall during the October to December period, with dry conditions expected to persist into the January to March period in much of the country.
Officially opening the workshop on Thursday, Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Mr Zvinechimwe Churu said the focus was to ensure that early warning information translated into timely action, rather than waiting for a disaster to occur.
“Our task is not simply to produce another document. It is to agree, before a crisis deepens, what action will be taken, by whom, at what point, and with which resources. The 2023/24 El Niño drought showed us why this matters, as its effects went beyond reduced harvests to water shortages, pressure on household diets and increased risks to children’s nutrition, health, education and protection,” Mr Churu said.
He said the protocol should establish clear triggers for action, responsibilities, timelines and financing arrangements, with interventions covering agriculture, water, health, nutrition and social protection.
“Let us ensure that warnings lead to decisions, decisions release resources, and resources reach communities while there is still time to protect lives and livelihoods,” he said.
FNC director-general Dr George Kembo said the process was intended to consolidate information from different sectors into one national plan that would guide resource mobilisation ahead of the drought.
“We want Government to be more proactive than reactive, which requires convergence of expertise so that we can come up with anticipatory action in response to the El Niño drought,” he said.
Dr Kembo said the objective was to ensure resources were identified and mobilised before communities were affected, rather than waiting until a disaster had already occurred.
The Department of Civil Protection Deputy Director Response and Coordination Ms Veronica Bare said they were also preparing communities for the forecast drought while maintaining readiness for other hazards, including floods.
“We are taking proactive initiatives to ensure that the country is prepared for the 2026-27 rainfall season, where it has been anticipated that we are going to experience normal to below-normal rainfall. We are also working with key ministries to ensure communities are informed early enough for early action,” she said.
Meteorologist Mr Gamuchirai Vhumisai said the Meteorological Services Department had been monitoring potential drought conditions since June, allowing humanitarian partners to identify vulnerable areas and prepare resources in advance.
“We have been monitoring the possibility of droughts starting as early as June, because for anticipatory action you need to anticipate a hazard two or three months before it occurs. This allows people to mobilise resources and develop plans for the season,” he said.
UNICEF nutrition specialist Ms Kudzai Mudukuti said anticipatory action was particularly important for protecting children from the knock-on effects of drought.
“Anticipatory action allows us to plan to protect as many women and children as possible, particularly in nutrition, water, education and child safeguarding. We need to make food and nutrition security part of the planning and not just an outcome that we address after a disaster,” she said.
The 2023/24 El Niño drought affected food and nutrition security across Zimbabwe, while also putting pressure on water supplies and household livelihoods.
The latest preparedness process is expected to produce an impact-based risk analysis, a multi-sector anticipatory action protocol and an implementation roadmap outlining triggers, actions, responsibilities and financing arrangements for the 2026/27 season.
