Climate
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World Wildlife Day: Recovering key species for ecosystem restoration
By Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association The 3rd of March is a day to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants. World Wildlife Day has become the most important global annual event dedicated to wildlife. This year, the day is being celebrated under the theme, “Recovering key species for ecosystem restoration.” It is…
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5th UNEA closes with strong nature action resolutions towards achieving SDGs
By Baboloki Semele Nairobi, Kenya: The 5th UN Environment Assembly concluded yesterday in Nairobi with 14 resolutions to strengthen actions for nature to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Assembly is made up of the 193 UN Member States and convenes every two years to advance global environmental governance. The world’s ministers for the…
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Nations commit to ending plastic pollution
By Baboloki Semele Nairobi, Kenya: Heads of State, Ministers of environment, and other representatives from 175 nations endorsed a historic resolution at the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5) yesterday in Nairobi to End Plastic Pollution and forge an international legally binding agreement by 2024. The resolution addresses the full lifecycle of plastic, including its production, design,…
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UN Report Assesses Risk of Plastic Pollution to Migratory Species in Ganges and Mekong Rivers
A new report on plastic pollution and migratory species was launched yesterday during the fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA5) in Nairobi. The report, “Risk assessment of plastic pollution to migratory species in the Mekong and Ganga River Basins”, was prepared under the UN’s Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of…
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Climate commitments from the 6th African Union-European Union Summit
The 6th European Union (EU)-African Union (AU) Summit, held on Thursday 17 and Friday 18 February 2022 in Brussels, ended with the adoption of a joint declaration on the Africa-Europe 2030 vision. Europe will implement a global investment strategy with at least 150 billion euros to support “projects wanted and carried by Africans, with priority…
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New study questions climate impacts of biofuels
A study released Feb. 14 by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences claims that ethanol is likely a bigger contributor to global warming than gasoline, Reuters reported. The study contradicts previous findings by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) showing that ethanol and other biofuels are green. “Corn ethanol is not a climate-friendly fuel,” said…
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AfDB, UNOPS Donate Weather Monitoring Equipment to Meteorological Department
The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and African Development Bank (AfDB) today handed over Weather Monitoring Equipment to the Meteorological Services Department. AfDB as the donor is working with UNOPS and the Government of Zimbabwe on the Post Cyclone Idai and Kenneth Emergency Recovery and Resistance Programme (PCIREP) which targets the districts of…
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Severe drought lowers Turkey’s wheat harvest
Due to severe drought, Turkey’s 2021-22 wheat production is down 2 million tonnes, to 16.25 million tonnes, according to a report from the Foreign Agricultural Service of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Looking ahead to next year, rainfall levels from October to December were better compared to the same period a year ago. However,…
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Tanganda Tea Company, a Mainstay in the Chipinge Community!
The Tanganda Tea Company Limited, a part of Chipinge’s history, continues to show how it has managed to not only last so long but grow to be Zimbabwe’s largest producer, packer, and distributor of Tea. As a people-centred business, Tanganda has been actively improving the lives of its employees and the community of Chipinge.…
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Wetlands vital for people and nature: ZELA
By Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) Wetlands provide numerous environmental, economic, and social services such as pollutant removal, wildlife habitat, groundwater recharge, and carbon sequestration.[1] They play a crucial role in climate change mitigation by trapping carbon thereby reducing greenhouse gases, a major contributor to global warming. Wetlands also help cities to adapt to climate…
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CSOs amplify calls for preserving wetlands to mitigate climate change
By Sowell Chikwari Civil society organisations have raised concerns over the decimation of wetlands in urban peripheries owing to housing construction and agricultural activities as it negatively impacts the environmental ecosystem. The City of Harare is among the most affected cities in terms of the depletion of wetlands, a situation that has grossly affected the…
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Climate Financing to Increase Resilience to Negative Climate Change Impacts in Zimbabwe
Developing agriculture remains Zimbabwe’s most direct route to reducing poverty, hunger, and malnutrition given that 67% of the population resides in rural areas and relies on smallholder farming as a source of livelihood. The transformation of agriculture entails developing a robust sector that has mainstreamed mechanisms of reducing the vulnerability of and maintaining and increasing…
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EU organisations join forces with farmers to fight climate change
Working with European farmers Farmers, who are the stewards of the land, must be an integral part of the solutions for the European food systems of the future. They possess intimate knowledge of the land from years of experience and cross-generational information and are well-positioned to disseminate this knowledge. For this and many other reasons,…
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Climate Smart Agriculture comes as farming model
Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) comes as a farming model for a sustainable agricultural production system aimed at food security even during climatic calamities in eight countries, including Bangladesh. Officials said the D-8 grouping adopted a proposal on the introduction of the CSA model in the developing eight economies. Bangladesh had proposed the system in the D-8…
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MENACW 2022 Regional Climate Week Set to Kick-start Next Month
The first-ever Middle East and North Africa Climate Week (MENACW) 2022, is set to take place from 28 February to 3 March 2022 at the Dubai Exhibition Centre in Dubai, UN Climate change news has recently informed. This planned in-person meeting kicks off the Regional Climate Weeks in 2022 and a new era of cooperation…
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Beitbridge West needs assistance: Incessant rains destroyed livelihoods
People in Beitbridge West are appealing for urgent assistance from well-wishers since their livelihoods were destroyed by incessant rains that hit the area recently. Taking the appeal to various social media networking sites, Godfrey “Chief” Koti, an influential media personality who hails from the area thanked various stakeholders who have come on board with the…
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Harare Residents to Pay $25 000 RTGS Fine for Illegally Cultivating Wetlands
Staff Reporter The City of Harare has noted with great concern that a number of people are cultivating maize on wetlands in different parts of the city. Against this background, the Harare City Council has warned that among other punitive measures, Harare-based residents who temper with wetlands are required to pay a fine of 25…
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UN Secretary General Urges Nations to Make Recovery a Resolution for 2022
By Joyce Mukucha The United Nations (UN) Secretary General António Guterres has urged countries across the globe to “commit to making 2022 a year of recovery for everyone.” In his message for the New Year , the UN chief called upon everyone to make recovery “for people, planet and prosperity” as the resolution for the…
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We need a New attitude to drive transformational Climate Action
By Dr. Richard Munang As we close the year 2021, I have been thinking of the most important aspect to talk about. It was a hard nut to crack, but I settled on one word “ATTITUDE”. We need an urgent imperative, which I call a change in attitude perspective—an attitude perspective on seeing things. We…
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Rural Youths: Key Actors in Creating Green Communities
By Calvin Manika Timothy Ncube, 18, sits under a baobab tree at their homestead in Lukosi village, Hwange. Despite being a rainy season, they have not received enough rains to commence farming in earnest. Timothy thinks that seasons have changed and the climate is no longer favourable to them to rely on subsistence farming for…
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Water supply system in arid Chivi rehabilitated
Dr. Anxious Masuka, the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development commissioned the Chivi Water Supply Rehabilitation Works as part of efforts by the Second Republic to accelerate rural development for the attainment of Vision 2030. The rehabilitation of Chivi Water Supply is part of a wider programme to help ease water challenges…
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We are yet to regain our full dignity after Cyclone Idai: Victims
In Ngangu Village, one of the epicentres of Cyclone Idai destruction in Chimanimani District, scores of people are still nursing the physical, emotional, and psychological wounds of the environmental catastrophe that hit their community. Shamiso Makwambeni (not real name) recounted how on the fateful night of 15 March 2019, after what appeared a normal day,…
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AfDB partners UNOPS to donate vehicles towards post-Cyclone Idai recovery efforts
The ministry of local government today received a donation of vehicles procured by the African Development Bank AfDB under the Post Cyclone Idai Emergency Recovery and Resilience Project (PCIREP) . The donation of 8 Crane Trucks and 2 Nissan NP300 Pick Up trucks is meant to enhance disaster preparedness and response in Manicaland Province as…
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UN Women Announces 2022 International Women’s Day Theme
By Joyce Mukucha The United Nations (UN) Women has recently announced that next year’s theme for the International Women’s Day(IWD) “Equality today for a sustainable tomorrow,” a theme which recognizes efforts being made by women and girls around the globe in mitigating climate change as well as building resilient lives and livelihoods. The theme for…
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PWDs Headline Banket Tree Planting Day
By Elvis Dumba People with Disabilities have led in the observation of national tree planting day in Banket. Kind Matope Chairperson of Banket PWDs led in the event by planting a tree at Sacred Heart High School where he urged residents to preserve the remaining few trees around Banket. Matope who said their constituency…
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Tackling climate change: FORUS Party on a nationwide tree-planting exercise
As a way of tackling climate change and in line with the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) as outlined in the Paris Agreement, the Freedom of Rights Under Sovereign (FORUS) Party today commemorated the National Tree Planting Day by planting trees in Mhondoro and Chikomba as a launchpad to a massive nationwide tree-planting exercise to…
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Campaigners petition government to commit to disability rights
A new campaign and petition calling on the Zimbabwe Government to make lasting commitments to people with disabilities were launched last month ahead of the second Global Disability Summit. The Summit will be held in February 2022 in Norway, to address the global needs of people with disabilities and ensure they are integrated into policies…
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Grassroots Women Contributing to Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Measures
By Joyce Mukucha Worldwide, the impacts of climate change are becoming more and more devastating causing food insecurity, health challenges, heat waves, fires and disasters such as floods which as a result cause displacement and women are hardest hit. Climate change marginalizes and increases vulnerabilities for women and girls because already, they are disproportionately affected…
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Africa Climate Action Finance Gap: A Worrisome Trend
Dr. Richard Munang Africa already needs a minimum of $2.5trillion to implement its climate action commitments. Even as COP26 in Glasgow agreed to double the $100 billion pledge to developing countries, this means that even if the pledges were honoured in full, the gap would still be gapping for Africa. If we were to go with just…
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Young People Committed to Protecting Environment
By Muchaneta Chimuka With the support from from a non-governmental organisation called terre des homes (tdh),the Zimbabwe National Council for the Welfare of Children (ZNCWC) last Friday gathered young people who operate under a Child and Youth Environmental Forum at Tariro Youth Centre in Hopely to discuss environmental issues in Hopely mapping a way…
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Banana Fusarium wilt Tropical Race 4: a damaging disease threatening banana production in Southern Africa and beyond
By Dr. Mathew M. Abang Bananas represent one of the most consumed and traded fruits globally. In Southern Africa, bananas serve both as a staple food and important cash crop. To date, Tanzania is the largest producer of bananas in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).…
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Deforestation negatively impacting livelihoods in Cameroon, Central Africa
Food shortages, the disappearance of medicinal plants and essences, and changes in lifestyle are the consequences of deforestation on the indigenous peoples of Central Africa. Nearly 60 km from Douala in Cameroon, in the Littoral region, on a normal road that runs along a track that is engulfed in the forest, and out of nowhere,…
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Rains interrupt Mash East volleyball finals
By Tsitsi Ndabambi On Saturday 20 November in Ruwa, a few minutes after kickstarting what looked like the toughest and most competitive of all volleyball matches between Ruwa and Marondera Tigers who were battling for a Mashonaland East volleyball League tournament trophy, a dark cloud covered the sky followed by an outpouring heavy rainfall. The…
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‘Adopt Regenerative Farming Practices’- Dairy, Beef Farmers Told.
By Elvis Dumba MUTORASHANGA- Farmers in the beef and dairy industry have been urged to adopt environment friendly practices in their activities to combat environment damaging effects such as land degradation which result from overgrazing. A Mutorashanga farmer has took it upon himself in training small scale dairy and beef farmers around the area in…
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AAG Goes Green with Increased Calls to Build a Climate Resilient Zimbabwe
By Joyce Mukucha Striving to build a green economy as well as reducing the vulnerability of different communities from the devastating effects of climate change, the Affirmative Action Group (AAG) Zimbabwe has partnered with AAG diaspora in launching a “Go Green” pledge, a campaign aimed at advocating for reduction of negative impact to the environment…
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Climate change means hunger in our communities, African women leaders at COP26
Vanessa Nakate, a Ugandan climate activist, emerged as one of the most prominent youth voices at COP26 in Glasgow. “Prove us wrong,” was her message to delegates at the climate talks, which entered their final day on Friday, as fears grew that countries would fail to convert ambition into an agreement. Activists and delegates from…
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‘Violence, Insecurity and Climate Change Cause Forced Displacement for 84 Million People’-UNHCR
By Joyce Mukucha The trend in rising forced displacement continued into 2021 with global numbers now exceeding 84 million as more people fled violence, insecurity and the effects of climate change, according to the Mid-Year Trends report released today by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. The report for January-June 2021, indicated a surge from 82.4…
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Environmental management critical for sustainability of aquaculture, fisheries
The proper management of the environment is critical to ensure the sustainable use of aquaculture and fisheries along the value chain, a top environmentalist has said. Aquaculture is the farming of animals and plants in water. There are various important steps in the aquaculture value chain that includes production, harvesting, processing, marketing, and utilisation. Environmentalist,…
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ZIMRA Joins Fight Against Ozone Layer Destruction
By Joyce Mukucha In an effort aimed at helping the government on the implimentation of the Montreal Protocol in Zimbabwe focusing on the major objective of gradual reduction and eventual elimination of man-made chemicals and substances production that deplete the ozone layer and contribute to global warming, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) is tirelessly working…
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Climate Change: Government ready to Tackle Emergencies.
By Elvis Dumba Harare- The Government of Zimbabwe say it’s ready to respond to climate change induced emergencies as the country moves into a rain season. Government said it has noted that climate change induced emergencies are becoming complex and difficult to manage both in Zimbabwe and rest of SADC countries. Government has approved an…
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Covid-19, Lack of Funds left Countries Unsupported and Unprepared to Deal with Climate Change Impacts: WHO
By Joyce Mukucha Despite efforts governments are making in prioritizing public health measures to protect their people from climate impacts, many lack the funds to take effective action with a potential missed opportunity to identify and optimize the health benefits of adaptation and mitigation efforts in other sectors, said the 2021 World Health Organization (WHO)…
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50 percent of World’s Population will be Exposed to Natural Hazards by 2030: UN
By Joyce Mukucha By the year 2030, an estimated 50 per cent of the world’s population that live in coastal areas will be exposed to extreme weather events such as flooding, storms and tsunamis, the United Nations(UN) has warned. Marking this year’s World Tsunami Awareness Day on the 4th of November 2021 against this background,…
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Debt, extractivism and climate change nexus important for Zimbabwe
By Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development This week, the world’s focus has been on the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26). For Zimbabwe, the major talking point has been the visit by Zimbabwean government officials which saw in over two decades, a Zimbabwean state leader visiting the UK. Beyond the sensational news headlines…
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Government Making Strides Towards Protecting Ozone Layer
By Joyce Mukucha recently in Darwendale The government of Zimbabwe through the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism, and Hospitality Industry’s Climate Change Management Department is making concerted efforts in phasing out hydrochlorofluorocarbons( HCFCs) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) to eliminate the production and use of these ozone-depleting substances as encouraged by the Montreal Protocol, a government official…
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Japan supports rural Zimbabweans affected by seasonal shocks
The World Food Programme (WFP) and the Government of Japan announced the finalisation of a resilience building programme in the district of Mount Darwin. The USD 1.25 million contribution provided by Japan in March 2021, has empowered up to 2,200 vulnerable households (approximately 11,000 individuals) in Mount Darwin and Matobo districts to enhance their food…