Staff Writer
The World Bank has called on Zimbabwe to finalise its disaster risk management legislation and strengthen its early warning and disaster response systems.
Currently, the Civil Protection Act (1989) is the guiding legislation underpinning disaster response in the country.
The Civil Protection Act focuses narrowly on civil protection and disaster response management led by the Department for Civil Protection.
The World Bank noted the government’s recognition of the need for updated disaster risk management legislation that prioritises prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery, reconstruction, and resilience.
The 2012 proposed Disaster Risk Management Bill requires revisions and amendments first, prior to its advancement, as well as the development of a new Disaster Risk Management Policy aligned with the Bill and its forward-looking provisions.
The National Disaster Risk Management Plan sets out the multi-agency and multisectoral arrangements in Zimbabwe for disaster risk management, allowing Ministries, Departments, Agencies, and communities to effectively prepare for, and respond to, any disasters occurring.
The National Disaster Risk Management Plan is the master plan and cornerstone for all emergency response planning and activities in Zimbabwe and is supported by Provincial / District level plans that provide a further layer of more detailed and locally contextualized information.
The World Bank said in the medium-term, it would be important to set up a dedicated disaster response fund and scale-up access to regional disaster risk finance.
The lender said early warning systems are vital for effective disaster risk management, offering timely information to mitigate disaster impacts.
It added that early warning systems enable proactive, locally tailored responses, which are crucial for protecting agricultural productivity and food security.
“Zimbabwe does not have legislation and policies that pertain specifically to early warning systems, however, there are institutions, legislation, policies, strategies and frameworks that provide an enabling environment for disaster risk reduction to climate-related extremes,” the World Bank said in a report.
The lender added that the country needs to finalise and enact specific legislation and policies for early warning systems and disaster response systems.
“This includes operationalising the institutional framework proposed under the National Climate Change Response Strategy, the National Framework for Climate Services, and the Draft Disaster Risk Management Bill of 2012. These actions will strengthen disaster risk reduction and climate resilience,” the World Bank said.