Harare, (New Ziana) – The Zimbabwe government in partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB) has launched a $14.5 million project aimed at enhancing resilience and adaptation to climate disaster risks for vulnerable communities in the country.
Speaking at the launch on Wednesday, the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Daniel Garwe, commended the AfDB for its continued support to Zimbabwe.
“We are grateful that we are launching a project worth $14.5 million as AfDB continues to complement the Government of Zimbabwe’s endeavours towards enhancing resilience and adaptation to climate disaster risks for vulnerable communities in our country,” he said.
The project, titled “Mitigating Fragility through the Africa Disaster Risk Financing (ADRiFi) Programme in Southern Africa,” aims to enhance institutional capacity for climate risk preparedness and management.
It also seeks to increase financial protection against climate disaster risks through sovereign climate disaster risk transfer, as well as promote adoption of index-based crop insurance to mitigate against drought and other production risks at the micro-level.
According to Garwe, the project will go a long way in improving the country capacity to plan, prepare, and respond to extreme weather eventsas the country endeavours to achieve sustainable development goals and
Vision 2030.
“I am advised that the primary objective of the Africa Disaster Risk Financing (ADRiFi) project is to enhance resilience and adaptation to climate disaster risks for vulnerable communities,” he said.
“As you may be aware, this project is building on yet another successful
outreach project implemented from 2019 to March 2024, again with the primary objective of enhancing the country’s resilience in response to climate shocks through improved capacity building to manage climate disaster risk.
Garwe emphasised that the project was implemented through comprehensive capacity building for key institutions on climate and disaster risk financing and developing key instruments necessary for implementing climate risk financing, including the disaster risk finance strategy.
He highlighted on the protection against climate disaster risks and promoting adoption of index-based crop insurance.
“With support from the African Development Bank and state collaboration, the project aims to capacitate disaster risk management systems from the village to the national level, ultimately contributing to sustainable development goals and Vision 2030,” he said.
Garwe implored all government and United Nations entities and agencies involved in the project to inculcate a spirit of collaboration in the implementation of the project, to ensure that all components are effectively completed within the project life cycle.
He expressed optimism that all funds will be properly accounted for and put to good use.
New Ziana
