The Minister of Environment, Climate, and Wildlife, Evelyn Ndlovu, has called for the localisation of climate action, noting that communities and actors are best placed to identify and implement the interventions needed to respond to their climate vulnerabilities. Speaking at the Utariri Day Celebration, Ndlovu also underscored the need to increase climate finance flows to…
Staff Writer Zimbabwe has distinguished itself as the sole African nation to meet the February 10, 2025 deadline for submitting its updated national climate plan, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) secretariat. Parties to the Paris Climate Agreement are required to submit updated national climate…
Staff Writer Zimbabwe’s food import bill increased significantly by 55.2% to US$976.1 million in 2024 from US$628.9 million in 2023, latest data shows. According to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), the increase was underpinned by grain imports, necessitated by the El Niño-induced drought that adversely affected the 2023/24 agricultural season. “Maize imports increased from…
Staff Writer The World Bank says the cost of inaction on climate change could erode up to 12% of Zimbabwe’s gross domestic product (GDP) annually. In its latest Zimbabwe Economic Update, the World Bank emphasises the urgent need for proactive climate adaptation measures, highlighting that every dollar invested in early interventions could save up to…
Staff Writer The government has unveiled an ambitious plan to boost agricultural production in the upcoming 2024/25 summer season, targeting a significant increase in cereal yields. The plan comes amid a devastating El Niño-induced drought that ravaged the 2023/24 season. El Niño, a cyclical warming of the Pacific Ocean, disrupts global weather patterns, leading to…
Staff Writer Zimbabwe is facing a period of widespread Crisis (IPC Phase 3) conditions across the country, signifying severe food insecurity and acute malnutrition, from October 2024 to January 2025, FEWS NET has predicted.The alarming situation is a direct consequence of the devastating drought that began in late 2023 and intensified in early 2024, with…
Staff Writer Zimbabwe has received a US$31.8 million payout from the African Risk Capacity (ARC) drought insurance scheme to bolster food security efforts and aid a challenging agricultural season. Zimbabwe like its counterparts in Southern Africa, is currently grappling with El Niño-induced severe drought which has impacted millions of farming households, affecting their livelihoods, food…
Staff Writer The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have called for a new approach to financing climate action to back Africa’s efforts to tackle climate change. During a meeting in Tokyo, both organisations acknowledged that traditional concessional loans are not enough. They emphasised the importance of innovative financial…
Staff Writer Zimbabwe must prioritise a circular economy and climate-smart agriculture to ensure sustainable economic development, UN Resident Coordinator Edward Kallon has said. Speaking at the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce Annual Congress, Kallon highlighted the importance of resource efficiency and waste reduction. He noted that a circular economy framework emphasises resource efficiency and waste…
Staff Writer The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says the current drought in southern Africa will put pressure on external balances and public spending. From January 2024, several parts of Southern Africa experienced significantly below-average rainfall. Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Angola, Mozambique and Botswana received less than 20 percent of the typical rainfall expected for February, with…
