The Sunday News
Vincent Gono, Features Editor
THE message of climate change is filtering through to the grassroots where the phenomenon has had its worst effects as government is accelerating efforts of sensitising the communities on the need to mainstream climate change in their planning.
At one of the sensitisation workshops in Bubi on Wednesday, Director Climate Change in the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Mr Washington Zhakata who was standing in for the Permanent Secretary Mr Munesu Munodawafa said climate change was a reality that could no longer be ignored. He said it was only proper for communities to appreciate adaptation and mitigation measures and to factor it in in the planning and budgeting process.
He said it was absurd for the nation to pretend that things were okay and normal when evidence backed by studies and what was experienced on the ground was pointing to the contrary.
“Climate change is real and the sooner we plan and include it in our budgets the better. With adequate knowledge we can be able to lessen it impacts. So, we are imploring all departments to mainstream climate change in their budgets and we are working with the Ministry of Finance in that regard,” said Mr Zhakata.
He said climate change was manifesting itself in a number of ways such as frequent droughts and in weather phenomenon previously unknown to Zimbabwe as cyclones and prolonged dry spells.
“We never used to have cyclones in Zimbabwe but if you see now, their frequency is increasing. So, this calls for councils and all other departments to put a plan on how they are going to respond to such issues when they occur. We need to put in place a roadmap to adapt and mitigate the effects of climate change. We also need to ensure that our communities build resilience (the ability of a social or ecological system to absorb disturbances while retaining the same basic structure and ways of functioning) through adoption of environmentally friendly and sustainable approaches to their way of life,” he said.
Mr Zhakata added that low rainfall meant poor agriculture performance in communities and called for everyone to be on board in as far as planning for climate change is concerned. He said in Matabeleland North province studies have shown that districts such as Bubi, Hwange, Tsholotsho and Umguza were vulnerable and needed to take climate change planning seriously although that is not to say all other districts are safe.
Mr Zhakata also said it was important for communities to take early warning systems seriously and urged institutions to ensure their buildings were safe from such issues as cyclones.
“There are buildings even institutions that have been affected more than twice by the same weather phenomenon but at times you find people still doing the same thing without looking at the causes and how to prevent such cases. We still have people settling in wetlands and flood plains, these need to have a plan as well because nature has a way of correcting human error and this may happen at the expense of human life which is why it is important for communities to be sensitized and capacitated in terms of knowledge,” said Mr Zhakata.
The director said the idea was to ensure efficiency in water and energy use as well as making sure there was a climate change resilience building strategy where structures speak to climate change risks.
He added that they were carrying out sensitisation workshops in districts where they were meeting the traditional leaders, and various government departments and councillors in an effort to ensure information cascades down to the people affected.
