ZIMBABWE MAKING TREMENDOUS PROGRESS IN MANAGING CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS 

Zimbabwe has made tremendous progress in the management of climate change impacts and reduction of green-house gas emissions, according to a recent statement released by the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry and shared with various stakeholders.

  According to Mr Elisha Moyo, Principal Climate Researcher in the Climate Change Management Department of the ministry, despite the progress made, gaps and opportunities still exist and further work is required to achieve climate resilience, follow a low carbon development pathway and achieve compliance with global and regional environmental obligations such as the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), as well as achieving the country’s developmental aspirations.

 Mr Moyo made the remarks in a recent call for input by the ministry for new Green Climate Fund (GCF) readiness activity areas, revised GCF country programme draft and call for information on GCF proposal and concept note development for projects.

  Mr Moyo is the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) National Designated Entity (NDE) and GCF Alternate National Focal Point contact person in the country.

  The Green Climate Fund National Designated Authority is calling for input which will shape the country’s readiness project and GCF country pipeline.

  It is reported that Zimbabwe has been accessing various forms of climate funds including readiness funds from the Green Climate Fund. The country also intends to utilize its readiness quota in a programmatic approach for the next three years.

   The responsible ministry says that important capacity gaps remain for the implementation of the country programme and successful engagement of Zimbabwe with the Green Climate Fund and other climate funds.

  It is added that on a yearly basis, the National Designated Authority (NDA) will update the national priorities through a consultative process coupled with a gap analysis for climate change interventions in both mitigation and adaptation. It will then communicate its priorities to the Accredited Entities (AEs) active in the country and share it with stakeholders. The Accredited Entities are the implementing entities that act as a country’s programme managers of the fund grants. It is reported that this will enable avoidance of duplication and enhance coordination among actors in the country.

  The Country Programme, a five-year strategic document for engagement with the Green Climate Fund (GCF), was developed for the Government of Zimbabwe through funding from the Green Climate Fund Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme.

 The country programme provides a springboard for strategic projects of national importance for funding to the GCF and support the country’s economic transformation.

  Average annual temperature has increased by more than 1.0^oC in the past century and evidence points out that climate is a major driving factor for most of Zimbabwe’s socio-economic activities, especially in the energy and agriculture sectors, such that Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is closely linked with rainfall patterns.

  Climate change hazards exacerbate poverty, food insecurity, malnutrition, water shortages and environmental degradation among other developmental challenges, which threaten to derail the development strides made by the Government of Zimbabwe since independence.

  The country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) clearly articulate the country’s ambition to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 33% by 2030, with the energy sector leading in mitigation efforts and agricultural sector leading in adaptation.

  The country has also developed the Low Emission Development Strategy (LEDS) to broaden the mitigation targets across sectors and support the development of projects for funding from the Green Climate Fund.

 The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is a global fund created to support the efforts of developing countries to respond to the challenge of climate change. It aims at supporting the implementation of the Paris Agreement. 

The GCF helps developing countries limit or reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adapt to climate change. It seeks to promote a paradigm shift to low-emission and climate-resilient development, taking into account the needs of countries that are particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts.

A fundamental principle of the Green Climate Fund is that developing countries have ownership over the results of the projects and programmes financed using GCF resources (Country Ownership Principle). In this sense, each country must set its national priorities and present its strategy for engagement with the fund through a Country Programme. To receive GCF funding, countries are requested to develop so called “Country Programmes” outlining the needs of their country under climate change and how the funding will be used to address these needs, both in terms of mitigation and adaptation.

Cognizant of the urgency to act in addressing the challenge of climate change, in 2013, the Government of Zimbabwe established the Climate Change Management Department as well as several policies and strategies to address climate change.   It is reported that the country’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions contribute less than 0.05% to global emissions, making it a low emitter (Zimbabwe’s Nationally Determined Contributions), yet the country has suffered the brunt of climate change in recent years