Harare youths are calling on the city council to prepare for worsening drought and extreme heat by putting disaster risk measures into the 2027 municipal budget.
The call comes as Zimbabwe faces heightened drought risks linked to the developing El Niño phenomenon, which could worsen existing water shortages and public health pressures in vulnerable communities.
In a letter to Acting Town Clerk Advocate Warren Chiwawa, youth organisations urged council to move beyond responding to disasters after they happen and instead invest in measures that allow the city to act early.
“Disaster risk financing should therefore form part of the City’s broader financial-risk management,” the youths said.
They want council to establish an anticipatory disaster fund, improve water infrastructure, strengthen disease surveillance and issue public advisories on extreme heat and heat-related risks.
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The youths say women and girls in informal settlements could face particular risks when water sources dry up.
At Stoneridge, where piped water is unreliable, residents depend on a small number of boreholes that the letter says can dry up between August and October.
“Young women and girls [are forced] to walk long distances and face safety risks,” the letter says.
The group also wants Council to improve roads and drainage in areas such as Stoneridge and Epworth, where poor access can delay ambulances and fire services, while heavy rains can flood roads and overwhelm sanitation systems.
The letter proposes ward-level vulnerability mapping, community disaster champions and youth representatives to monitor disaster-risk planning.
“Disaster preparedness does not compete with development. It is development,” the youths said.
For residents already struggling with unreliable water, the issue is whether the city can act before the next climate shock becomes another emergency.
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