By Delicious Mathuthu
Kadoma, Zimbabwe – Against the backdrop of Zimbabwe’s worst drought in four decades, government officials, civil society, and development partners gathered in Kadoma this week to chart a path toward stronger disaster risk management (DRM) legislation.
The urgency of the moment was not lost on delegates, many of whom shared stories of communities devastated by floods, droughts, and health emergencies in recent years.
Speaking at the DRM Bill finalization retreat, Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Hon. Daniel Garwe, represented by Deputy Minister Engineer Benjamin Kabikira, warned that Zimbabwe’s vulnerability to disasters is growing, fueled by climate change and environmental degradation.
“From the 2016 El Niño drought to Cyclone Idai in 2019 and now the 2023/24 El Niño, the worst drought in 40 years, our communities are under siege.
“This is a testimony that our world is becoming increasingly hazardous, and Zimbabwe is not immune,” Minister Garwe said.
For villagers like Sarah Muzondo from Chimanimani, who survived the horrors of Cyclone Idai, the prospect of a law that puts communities at the center of disaster planning is a lifeline.
“We were the first responders, digging through rubble to find our neighbors.
“We need to be included, trained, and supported, not just remembered when disasters strike,” she said.
Hon. Garwe said the Bill, evolving since 2020, seeks to overhaul Zimbabwe’s disaster governance framework by ensuring inclusivity, community participation, and climate change integration.
The Bill’s key pillars include disaster risk financing for local governments, building community resilience, and fostering partnerships across sectors.
ActionAid Zimbabwe’s Head of Programs, Dr. Selina Pasirayi, described the Bill as a landmark development for the country after nearly 25 years of stalled efforts to enact comprehensive DRM legislation.
She emphasized the need to recognize the critical role of Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction (CBDRR) structures, which enable communities like Chimanimani’s to prepare, respond, and recover more effectively.
“Communities are the first responders. They must be adequately resourced and involved in decision-making,” Dr. Pasirayi said.
She also stressed the importance of gender-responsive governance, pointing out that women and children often bear the brunt of disasters, and advocated for the integration of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) in disaster planning, especially for early warning systems.
