‘Zimbabwe needs climate change adaptation standards’
EXPERTS say Zimbabwe should come up with implementation strategies when rolling out climate change mitigating policies to track progress.
The government has lately made various changes to the country’s legislation for climate change mitigation in view of the requirement for the country to reduce its emissions of greenhouse gases under the Paris Agreement on climate change.
This includes the recent introduction of new policies for renewable energy, forests, as well as disaster management and emergency preparedness.
The country has been at the receiving end of harsh climatic conditions, including droughts, floods and cyclones, in the past two decades that have left thousands of people dead, infrastructure destroyed and millions of people vulnerable.
Business Council for Sustainable Development director Dingane Sithole said the implementation agenda on climate change adaptation and mitigation should be prioritised going forward.
“Let me start by congratulating and actually commending our government for making great strides in terms of policy development. Relatively and comparative to other jurisdictions, we are doing very well. One bit where we need to also have the same space … is the issue of the implementation frameworks or strategies,” Sithole said at the Zimbabwe Climate Change Adaptation Investment Conference in Harare.
“A lot of these policies don’t have implementation frameworks which then leaves a gap where whoever wants to support struggles to identify the entry point and even those who want to support whether, with funding or technology, they also struggle to find space.”
World Food Programme country director Franscesca Erldelmann said business benefits from having a solid climate change mitigation and adaptation plan in place.
“We need to translate policies and strategies into concrete actions. They are tied to specific implementors so that people can associate themselves with an action. It’s not about them taking action but all of us taking action. But taking action is much easier if you can associate yourself with concrete action. So, translating the policy strategies into actions, getting funding and budgets associated with it, and translating it into the subnational is very important – at the provincial, district and ward levels. We are not looking for more plans and strategies but we are looking for more action,” she said.
In a speech read on his behalf, Environment minister Mangaliso Ndlovu said Zimbabwe has a significant role to play in meeting climate mitigation objectives.
“Climate change remains a topmost global concern and will remain so in years to come. It is in this respect that the government of Zimbabwe pays particular attention to planning forward. In all budgetary planning and allocation, climate change is the epicenter,” he said.
“The whole of government approach means ensuring an approach that is green, sustainable and climate resilient. Given the scale of climate change, and its cross cutting impacts, adaptation efforts must take place on a greater scale. Our economies and societies as a whole need to become more resilient to climate impacts and this will require large-scale efforts.”
He added that for the government, strong climate action offers many co-benefits in addition to delivering less carbon-intensive economies.
“While the case for adaptation is clear, some communities, most vulnerable to climate change, are the least prepared and equipped to adapt, because they are poor and/or in developing countries already struggling to mobilise adequate resources for basics such as health care and education.
Zimbabwe is translating its adaptation commitments into measurable impact on the ground, by identifying action entry points and costed options; identifying investment opportunities; supporting concrete planning; enhancing cooperation with partners; and helping secure adaptation finance,” Ndlovu said.
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