The Zimbabwean government has approved the National Climate Change Adaptation Plan for 2024-2030, aiming to integrate climate considerations into all major sectors and economic pillars.
The plan addresses the unprecedented effects of climate change. This decision follows President Mnangagwa’s earlier declaration of a State of National Disaster due to severe droughts linked to El Niño, a phenomenon aggravated by climate change.
Climate change is already causing more frequent and severe weather events, including droughts, storms, heat waves, rising sea levels, and melting glaciers. These changes are harming wildlife, destroying habitats, and disrupting communities and livelihoods.
Zimbabwe’s National Climate Change Adaptation Plan (NCCAP) will strengthen the country’s ability to plan, integrate, implement, monitor, and assess adaptation strategies for climate change. It will serve as a foundational document for developing sector-specific plans.
Given the significant impact of climate variability and change, Zimbabwe, like many countries, needs a coordinated approach to manage the vulnerabilities and risks associated with extreme weather events.
Extreme weather patterns such as droughts, floods, heat waves, and storms threaten food security and hinder socio-economic development. Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Daniel Garwe, who also chairs the Cabinet Committee on Environment, Disaster Prevention, and Management, stated that the plan provides guidance on integrating climate change into development planning from 2024 to 2030, with the goal of creating a climate-resilient and low-carbon economy.
Minister Garwe highlighted that climate hazards can disrupt agriculture, damage infrastructure, and destabilize economies, making it harder for communities to access food and sustain livelihoods. The NCCAP aims to address these issues by providing a framework for incorporating climate considerations into development planning.
The plan is informed by various existing government policies, including Vision 2030, the National Development Strategy 1 (2021-2025), the National Climate Policy (2017), the Zimbabwe National Climate Change Response Strategy (2014), the Zimbabwe Climate Gender Action Plan (2021), and reports from the Zimbabwe Livelihoods Assessment Committee and the National Communication Reports to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Additionally, the NCCAP includes incentive mechanisms such as duty waivers to promote local production of electric vehicles and other equipment to support the transition to a low-carbon economy. Minister Garwe noted that these incentives would also apply to the local production and importation of equipment for mitigating climate change effects.
