editor - CLIMATE BRIEF

AfDB project restores electricity in Zimbabwean communities following devastating Cyclone Idai

editor8 months ago8 months ago09 mins

The AfDB-funded Post-Cyclone Idai Emergency Recovery Project restored electricity access, revitalising businesses across communities in Zimbabwe. In March 2019, Cyclone Idai tore through Zimbabwe’s eastern districts with unprecedented fury, leaving behind a trail of devastation. Among the hardest hit regions were Chimanimani and Chipinge, where the lifelines of modern life—electricity, roads, and water systems—were severed…

UN June Climate Meetings commence in Bonn, Germany

editor8 months ago8 months ago02 mins

The UN June Climate Meetings, formally known as the 62nd session of the Subsidiary Bodies (SB62), are commencing today at the World Conference Centre Bonn (WCCB) in Bonn, Germany, where the UN Climate Change (UNFCCC) is headquartered. Building on the progress achieved at the COP29 UN Climate Change Conference in Baku last year, the meetings from…

Saint-Gobain Africa sparks urgent conversations on sustainable construction

editor8 months ago8 months ago04 mins

Against the backdrop of World Environment Day 2025 and Africa’s fast-approaching construction boom, Saint-Gobain Africa hosted its first Sustainable Construction Talk (SCT) on African soil last week. Held at Workshop17 in Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront, the gathering united developers, architects, engineers, finance and sustainability experts to unpack one vital question: How do we build sustainably…

Economy

IFRC boosts local flood preparedness in Zimbabwe

editor8 months ago8 months ago08 mins

From prayers and panic to preparedness and poise: disaster risk reduction drills in Chibuwe village give young and old a clear sense of what to do, well before the waters rise. “We used to watch the river rise and just pray it wouldn’t take everything,” said Kenneth Madhlazi, a farmer from Chibuwe village in Zimbabwe’s Chipinge…

Real cost of disasters is 10 times higher than previously thought, says UN

editor9 months ago9 months ago06 mins

As countries face increasingly steep bills from natural hazards, the true cost of disasters is actually 10 times higher than previously estimated, with far-reaching effects across healthcare, housing, education and employment. This is according to a report released Tuesday by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). While current estimates suggest the global economic impact of…

SADC leaders push for Regional Carbon Market

editor9 months ago9 months ago04 mins

SADC heads of state and government have called for the development of a Regional Carbon Market Framework as Southern Africa grapples with the escalating impacts of climate change. The declaration came from a pivotal Summit on Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) held in Harare, underscoring climate action’s role in regional integration. Leaders highlighted that carbon credits…

AfDB approves $10 million grant to boost climate resilience in Zimbabwe

editor9 months ago9 months ago05 mins

The African Development Bank Group has approved a $10,12 million grant from its African Development Fund to boost sustainable agricultural production and strengthen rural resilience in drought-prone regions in Zimbabwe. The project is expected to directly benefit 7,000 livestock-keeping farmers and 42,000 smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwe Agricultural Value Chain and Livelihoods Enhancement Project…

SADC TFCA International Conference opens…calls for strengthened collaboration, partnerships for biodiversity conservation

editor9 months ago9 months ago07 mins

The inaugural Southern African Development Community (SADC) Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCA) Conference commenced in Harare, Zimbabwe. In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary for Environment, Climate, and Wildlife, Ambassador Tadeous Chifamba, said SADC member states have a shared vision to foster integrated and effective management of transboundary landscapes and seascapes. “Without adequate resources, our efforts to…

Southern Africa strengthens transfrontier conservation efforts

editor9 months ago9 months ago05 mins

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) will commemorate 25 years of Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) with a landmark International Conference and Summit of Heads of State and Government from 19–23 May 2025 in Zimbabwe. The event will reaffirm the region’s commitment to biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, and cross-border environmental cooperation under the theme: “Transfrontier Conservation Areas—25…

Climate change takes increasingly extreme toll on African countries

editor9 months ago9 months ago05 mins

Africa experienced one of its hottest years on record in 2024, with average temperatures soaring approximately 0.86 °C above the 1991-2020 average, new data shows. According to a new report from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), the past decade has been the warmest on record for Africa. Highlighting Africa’s particular vulnerability to our warming planet,…