Resilience building in Zim
FAO Zimbabwe is implementing diverse initiatives across the agriculture sector as a contribution to FAO’s Resilience Strategy Southern Africa. The initiatives include taking a proactive approach to support timely information use in the agricultural and food security sectors.
This not only enables better hazard detection but also enhances the sector's overall resilience in responding to emerging challenges. The programme includes interventions that establish robust frameworks for anticipatory action co-ordination as well as early warning surveillance systems.
This multi-actor, multi-sectoral approach reduces hazard impact on humanitarian sectors, showcasing the importance of collaborative efforts in resilience-building. In anticipation of the predicted El Niño-induced drought FAO has played a leading role in advocating for anticipatory action and integrated sectoral interventions for food security, WASH (Water, Sanitation and Health) and nutrition increasing resilience by protecting smallholder farmers' livelihoods, it stands as a testament to international cooperation in addressing climate-related challenges.
FAO is also co-ordinating efforts contributing towards sustainable food systems while emphasising sustainability and inclusivity as it aligns with Zimbabwe's commitment to building resilient and robust food systems.
By enhancing ecosystem resilience, it addresses livelihoods by providing sustainable solutions to agriculture, forestry and fisheries. Initiatives focus on resilience recovery through livelihood opportunities and the implementation of Climate Smart Agriculture. FAO in Zimbabwe is promoting community participation, gender mainstreaming and ensuring compliance with international standards. In partnership with other United Nations agencies, FAO in Zimbabwe is contributing towards enhanced resilience for vulnerable households by implementing interventions that address economic and climate-induced shocks and stresses. Improving seed and fertiliser availability to supporting policy reforms in order to address fundamental aspects of food production, ensuring a resilient and sustainable agricultural landscape has been one of the focus areas of the collaboration between FAO and the Zimbabwean government.
In Zimbabwe, partner funding to FAO's resilience building initiatives has been instrumental in strengthening the various resilience dimensions, including preventive, anticipatory, absorptive, adaptive and transformational capacities.
By focusing on different aspects of resilience, FAO seeks to empower local communities, improve food security, and foster sustainable development in the face of complex challenges due to climate change and economic crisis. This document explores FAO's contributions to enhancing resilience capacities in Zimbabwe, shedding light on the organisation's multifaceted approach and its impact on vulnerable populations.