Climate Policy: Zimbabwe President Goes Tough on Smart Cities Implementation

Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa has directed that the smart cities idea ‘’must’’ be implemented in accordance with the country’s newly released climate policy.

Zimbabwe is targeting to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent from the current levels by 2050 to prevent disastrous impacts of climate change.

Currently, Zimbabwe is emitting 0.05 percent of all greenhouse emissions, lower than it is capturing. Consequently, the country has developed the Low Emission Strategy (LEDS) 2020-2050, which identifies mitigation actions to help keep global warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius.

LEDS identifies 38 mitigation actions across the four inter-governmental panels on climate change recognized sectors, and implementation of the mitigation actions will result in 40 percent reduction in emissions.

The strategy focuses on economic sectors inducing energy, agriculture, forestry and other land uses, industrial processes and products use as well as waste management.

Information Minister, Monica Mutsvangwa, said Zimbabwe’s implementation of renewable energy projects and use of more efficient low emission technologies in thermal power plants reflects the government’s commitment towards reduction in emissions.

President Mnangagwa attended the UN Climate Change Conference of Parties meeting of October 31 to November 12 in Glasgow, the United Kingdom, where he presented the country’s mitigation measures.

Like many other countries in southern Africa, Zimbabwe has not been spared from the effects of climate change, manifested in either floods or droughts.

The government had dispatched a team to the United Arab Emirates, led by Local Government and Public Works Minister, July Moyo, to investigate how best to fully implement the concept.

He explained that the goal was to establish climate-resilient architecture and carbon-free towns within Zimbabwe.

President Mnangagwa spoke during the opening of 28 staff residences built for government employees as part of the Beitbridge Redevelopment Programme, which aims to convert the border town into a midsize city.

The addition of the residences brings the total number of F14 houses built for government employees in Beitbridge to 52. A storm recently damaged the roofs of around five of the new dwellings and the roofs of many private residences.

In addition, as part of the $300 million Beitbridge Border Modernisation project, 16 blocks of garden apartments are being built to house 64 families, while another border staff town of 264 is being built.

The government was eyeing the establishment of Zimbabwe’s smart cities at Melfort, just east of Ruwa in Mashonaland East, Chirundu in Mashonaland West, and Figtree in Matabeleland South, according to the President.

Governments had to limit and adapt to the ongoing consequences of climate change, which was partly caused by the First World’s industrial revolution.

President Mnangagwa chastised local officials around the country for failing to provide enough housing.

The government was in the process of mobilizing additional resources to ensure that all stalled national housing projects across the country were completed, achieving the goal of ensuring that all Zimbabweans have access to decent and affordable housing, as outlined in the recently released Zimbabwe human settlements policy.

The government was also implementing innovative construction technology to reduce costs and speed up the construction of more housing units. He emphasized the need for adequate planning and the supply of necessary auxiliary services in home construction.

The commissioning of the dwellings also happened to fall on the United Nation’s World Habitat Day, which was celebrated a little late this year.

 

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