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Sifelani Tsiko Agric, Environment & Innovations Editor

Zimbabwe and most other African countries need more climate finance to be allocated to adaptation and resilience to help fight the effects of climate change, environmental experts say.

Tafadzwa Dhlakama, a climate change project coordinator with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) told participants at a pre – COP26 stakeholders’ workshop that industrialised countries and other multilateral agencies should increase the share of climate finance allocated to adaptation and resilience to Zimbabwe.

“This is one of the major needs outlined in Zimbabwe’s position paper for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 26th Conference of Parties (COP26). Zimbabwe needs more finance for enhanced adaptation and this is a major priority,” he said.

“With an increased share of financing for this, it will enhance the country’s adaptation and resilience strategies in the wake of rising climate change related disasters.”

Participants at the works called for industrialised countries to support the availability of climate finance for adaptation and resilience building.

“We call upon the COP26 to prioritise grant financing particularly to Zimbabwe and other developing countries on issues of adaptation,” said Lenin Chisaira, an environmental lawyer and director of Advocates4Earth.

“Adequate climate financing is key to understanding the global north and south climate change debate. Funding will be a key requirement for fighting the effects of climate change in Zimbabwe.”

Reyna Trust, Centre for Natural Resources Governance and Savanna Trust organised the civil society pre-COP 26 stakeholder’s workshop.

The three organisations were actively involved in building community climate change adaptation and mitigation capacities, climate policy advocacy, resource governance and awareness raising of the forthcoming COP 26 summit.

Zimbabwe has of late experienced adverse climate change induced crises such as devastating cyclones, floods, droughts and fires that has resulted in loss of lives and damage of property worth millions of dollars.

The country developed a five-point position paper which will be presented at the COP26 climate summit taking place in Glasgow next week.

Zimbabwe’s position paper includes the need for enhanced adaptation action with new finance, addressing loss and damage associated with the impact of climate change, narrowing emissions gap with new enhanced 2030 climate change targets, a call to industrialised nations to fulfil the US$100 billion a year climate finance commitment and transitioning from fossil fuel emissions and aligning finance with the Paris Agreement.

“This Summit is motivated by the spirit of collective approach towards the national climate change agenda that will be communicated at international level. Zimbabwe has of late experienced adverse climate change impacts that have led to loss of lives and damage of property worth millions of dollars.

“It is high time that contextual debates are proffered at national level and build capacity of local stakeholders to ensure accountability,” said Sydney Chisi, director of Reyna Trust.