Bongi Khumalo Treasury says Zimbabwe is setting up a US$500 million El Niño protection fund to prepare for potential drought during the 2026/27 agricultural season. Addressing a virtual press conference at the ongoing 2026 International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Annual Meetings, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, George Guvamatanga said the fund…
Bongi Khumalo Zimbabwe has secured a US$5.4 million grant from China to fund nine irrigation schemes spanning nearly 1,600 hectares across six provinces, advancing efforts to safeguard domestic food production against worsening climate risks. The agreement, signed Tuesday, aligns with Strategic Pillar 3 of the government’s Six-Pillar Drought Response Plan. Under this framework, Treasury and…
Bongi Khumalo Authorities have warned farmers against planting too early after recent isolated rainfall, cautioning that early sowing risks severe crop failure as below-normal rainfall forecasts loom over the 2026/27 farming season. The warning was issued during a meeting of the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) Agriculture, Food, Climate, and Environment Thematic Working Group where…
As world leaders prepare for November’s major COP31 climate summit in Türkiye, record-breaking heat, devastating floods and an unprecedented El Niño climate pattern are making global climate action ever more urgent. Ahead of the summit, leaders gathered for a pre-conference in the South Pacific this week to prepare for the intense negotiations to come and set the…
Bongi Khumalo The European Union and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have launched a €14 million programme to help smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe adopt climate-resilient horticultural practices amid increasing water scarcity and climate pressures. The Agroecological Transitions for Horticulture in Arid Zones (ATHAZ) programme will support farmers in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana to…
Extreme heat is increasingly affecting the health of pregnant women and newborns, with a new survey finding that maternal healthcare professionals are seeing more heat-related cases and complications. The survey, commissioned by Wellcome and covering 1,000 maternal healthcare professionals across Australia, Brazil, India, the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe, found that 73% of respondents reported an…
…as thousands of households suffer extensive damage The government has declared a State of Disaster in Masvingo after a hailstorm caused widespread damage to homes, public infrastructure, and businesses, underscoring local communities’ growing vulnerability to extreme weather events. President Emmerson Mnangagwa made the declaration under Section 27(1) of the Civil Protection Act [Chapter 10:06], following…
Heavy downpours, high winds, and severe hailstorms swept across several parts of Zimbabwe after a passing cloud system originating from Botswana moved over the region, official weather reports show. According to data released by the Meteorological Services Department (MSD), significant rainfall amounts were logged across the western and southern provinces. The highest rainfall was recorded…
Zimbabwe is establishing a single coordination platform and investment pipeline to translate climate early warnings into funded action on the ground ahead of the 2026/27 farming season. This comes as forecasts warn of an 88–94% likelihood of El Niño during the 2026/27 rainy season, alongside a 65% probability of below-normal rainfall. In response, the government,…
Severe weather can develop quickly, leaving communities with little time to respond. But timely and accurate warnings can give people a critical window to protect lives, property and livelihoods. The severe hailstorm that struck parts of Masvingo on Monday night, damaging homes, vehicles and infrastructure and forcing some families to seek temporary shelter, is a…
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