Climate action is part of a broad network for participating in climate solutions for resilience building, as guided by sustainable development goals (SDG 13). It is important that the Government of Zimbabwe as part of its climate change mainstreaming agenda, at all levels and for everyone, must be inclusive and consultative in its desire to participate in sustainable natural resource management.

Natural resource governance is key to every country’s environmental sustainability, ecological governance, environmental stewardship, landscape ecology, among others. Climate engagement and consultation are key push factors that promote natural resource governance and policy reforms especially through sustainable mining best practices.

According to the prevailing state of mining practices in Zimbabwe, there has been total disregard of the environmental impact. Mining areas have been extensively damaged leading to wide scale land degradation, deforestation, water and air pollution, human-wildlife conflict and creating internal refugees through forced displacements. These factors have intensified the vulnerability of women and children. The Government of Zimbabwe, has contributed unquantified damage to the environment and the people, by failing to balance business versus principles of human rights and the environmental concerns.

Against this background CRD is raising awareness on the need for sustainable management of natural resources to enhance climate protection. In the same vein, to mitigate the effects of climate change, we advocate for the strengthening of the resilience of communities through Community Share Ownership Trusts and building sustainable livelihoods. We at CRD also promote environmental audits in order to inform environmental solutions and fight climate change.

NDS1 and SDGs

We at CRD have discovered that the country’s National Development Strategies are not managed in isolation. They are guided by sustainable development goals (DSGs) as integrated. For this reason, SDGs play instrumental inclusive and integrated roles with SDG13 (Climate Action) leading the way. Unsustainable mining practices and its related damage and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions affect the following SDGs such as SDG7 (affordable and clean energy), SDG8 (decent work and economic growth), for providing employment solutions, SDG9 (Innovation, industry and infrastructure), by encouraging industry and infrastructure development. SDG12 (responsible consumption and productivity), by promoting sustainable use of resources and SDG17 (partnerships for goals), by enabling technology diffusion and transfer to a developing country. SDG11 (sustainable and communities), would bring sanity city reconstruction following all the environmental by-laws and also by respecting communities’ heritages which include sacred landscapes, physical features, cultures and worldviews.

To achieve these milestones in Zimbabwe, Government needs to walk the talk on climate action. This can be achieved through:

• Enhanced climate knowledge and information in order to build resilience at household, community, national and international levels.

• Strengthening citizens voice against climate injustices, and empowering them with climate change language to communicate ecological governance issues, environmental stewardship and resilience building.

• Promoting sustainable mining practices, supporting best practices through policies.

CRD is encouraging mainstreaming of climate change into development through sustainable engagements of the grassroots to improve their livelihoods leading to poverty reduction, disease control and mental health issues caused by the unmanaged impact of climate change.