The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung has launched books on climate change in Zimbabwe. The launch is a culmination of the tireless work undertaken by the Germany headquartered institution in collaboration with local stakeholders. The books provide key insights into the phenomenon of climate change as well as its impacts.
The books were developed in collaboration with cutting edge authors specialised in environmental protection. Speaking at the launch, Ms Anna Hoffman-Kwanga, the Country Director of KAS reiterated the commitment of the institution to help deal with climate change as well as the importance of knowledge generation through publications.
A wide variety of stakeholders from government, civil society, private sector, academia and development banks attended the event. The launch was held at the KAS offices in Alexandra Park Harare.
One of the publications “Climate Change and Law – Concepts and Insights” delves into the insights related to policy and legal requirements related to climate change in Zimbabwe. A legal and policy review is undertaken to identify legal platforms and governance of climate change in the context of law. The compendium of publications also includes “Building Climate Change Resilient Communities in Africa: Insights from Zimbabwe’s urban and rural areas”, which includes insights from both rural and urban perspectives. The launch also consisted of an innovative book earmarked for the media fraternity explaining the role of the media in climate change and sustainability. The book entitled, “The Role of the Media in Environmental Discourses”, assists media practitioners to understand fully their role in mainstreaming sustainability. Another publication, “Harnessing Zimbabwe’s indigenous knowledge for a changing climate” was launched at the same event celebrating the importance of indigenous knowledge systems in climate change mitigation and adaptation. For a long time, communities have used their traditional and indigenous knowledge to predict weather events as well as point out climate change impacts. This book is also translated into local languages including Shona and IsiNdebele.
The books respond to local needs and emerging disasters such as Cyclone Idai which affected Chimanimani and Chipinge in the Eastern part of Zimbabwe. On the other hand, the books also offer new insights to deal with the rising climate risks. A panel discussion was undertaken by some of the selected authors to provide a rare opportunity for readers to have a close interaction with the creators of the climate knowledge products. As the climate change discourse proceeds, there is need to have factual information developed by experts in the field. This will help in combating climate change and setting a foundation for resilient communities. The collaboration between KAS and local stakeholders in developing home-grown publications is a key strategy for ensuring that Zimbabwe meets its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets. Some of the publications help farmers to adopt drought resistant crops in the age of climate change. The support and sponsorship from the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung to the people of Zimbabwe is evidence of the commitment of the German community towards scaling up Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in developing countries such as Zimbabwe.
