Zela launches project to understand the governance...

Zela launches project to understand the governance of climate change-induced displacement

Tariro Tumbukayi

The Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association last week launched a regional research project to generate practical evidence to control governance of climate-influenced displacement in Southern Africa.

The project is to be implemented in Chimanimani and Chipinge.

Research country lead, Dr Manase Chiweshe stated that Chimanimani and Chipinge were chosen as case studies of climate change’s impacts on displacement due to the multiple extreme weather events in the areas.

Dr Chiweshe said that the project will bring to light the existing policy approaches for governing climate crisis-induced displacement, policy opportunities that exist at national, regional and international levels to address issues related to climate risk-induced displacement and strategies that need to be implemented to include the marginalised and vulnerable groups.

“Zimbabwe is one of Africa’s most vulnerable countries to climate change and Chipinge and Chimanimani are two of its most vulnerable districts.

“The areas are directly vulnerable to climate change-related extreme events due to their location in a mountainous low-lying region prone to floods and landslides,” he said.

Giving a summary of the project, project coordinator, Farai Mutondoro emphasised the urgent need to understand the governance of displacement, through a social justice and inclusive governance perspective.

“… relocation, saying planned relocation and rehabilitation policies often responded to displacement by urgent climate events, the slow onset of climate crisis, and development projects but noted that the knowledge around the effectiveness, and efficiency of the governance of displacement was fragmented at best and driven by humanitarian and livelihoods concerns,” Mutondoro said.

The event was the last to launch the project after similar activities were held in Malawi and Zambia to introduce the International Development Research Council-funded study, which will be implemented by three research institutions namely the Africa Institute of Environmental Law in Zimbabwe, the Centre for Environmental Policy and Advocacy in Malawi, and the Policy and Monitoring Research Centre in Zambia.