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Q&A: 'We Need Policies That Address Climate Change'

Interview with Washington Zhakata, national coordinator of Zimbabwe's Climate Change Awareness Programme

HARARE, Jul 26 2008 (IPS) - Last year, Zimbabwe's second largest city of Bulawayo faced a crippling water crisis, after three of its five supply dams went dry. Some high density suburbs went for over three months without water.

For the first time in the history of the city, the Bulawayo City Council warned of a possible disease outbreak as virtually all ablution facilities were not functioning.

Early this year, a number of areas in Zimbabwe were hit by floods. Most dams were reported to be 100 percent full. But despite what the government said were record rains, crops in most parts of the country failed, not because of too much water, but because of a prolonged dry spell.

IPS correspondent Ephraim Nsingo recently interviewed Washington Zhakata, the National Coordinator of the Climate Change Awareness Programme at the Ministry of Environment and Tourism about the science behind these extreme weather conditions, and how changing rainfall patterns may affect water security in the region.

IPS: During the last decade or so, there have been significant changes in weather patterns in Zimbabwe and southern Africa in general. Could you highlight and explain some of these changes, and explain what could have caused them.

Washington Zhakata: Over the last two decades, there has been an increase in extreme events, which in fact is a condition not limited to Zimbabwe, but is now prevalent world over. Rainfall intensity has also increased. All this is attributable to climate change, which is also attributable to human activity. We now experience shorter wet spells and longer dry spells across the southern African region.

There has been a significant change in the distribution of rainfall. We still receive approximately the same quantities of rainfall, but what has changed is the manner in which the rainfall is distributed.

IPS: What are some of the notable indicators of the threats of climate change, or lack of them in Zimbabwe?

WZ: During the course of the rainy season, you normally get some dry spells allowing people to work on their fields. But if you look at the trend now, these dry spells have become more frequent. The days with meaningful rain are becoming less and less. Droughts are now becoming very frequent.

The last six years have been the warmest of the last 15, and it appears the situation is gradually worsening.

IPS: Can we safely say only agriculture will be affected by the change in rainfall patterns, rather than water security overall, since we are still receiving approximately the same quantities of rain?

WZ: No. We now have more evaporation taking place. That is why if you take last year for example, most of our dams had extremely low water levels, resulting in some of them being decommissioned. We may have enough rain, but because of high evaporation caused by increased heat, there is also high evaporation. Generally, there has been a slight decrease in the volumes of water.

IPS: Do you think, given the way things have been going of late, there could be conflicts caused by scarcity?

WZ: Most of the rivers in the region start from one country, and flow through a number of others. Southern African water resources have been going down. There is a general threat.

With time, if the situation is not well managed, there could be conflict. At the moment, there are robust Memorandums of Understanding and agreements between riparian states (states sharing rivers). For example, some rivers such as the Zambezi involve up eleven countries, and imagine what could happen if one country breaches its part of the bargain.

At the moment, it appears some countries, for example South Africa are already having problems surviving on their water resources, and they now have to extract water from Lesotho. This is one issue that needs a collective effort, what happens in one country affects what happens in a number of others.

IPS: You have said the underlying cause of all this is human activity. What efforts are currently underway to conscientise people on the effects of climate change vis-à-vis pollution?

WZ: We have started a robust countrywide awareness campaign on climate change, bringing together business and political leaders. The whole idea is to have them factoring in climate change issues in their work. We hope once we have conscientised the leaders, they will also spread the message to their subordinates, and like that, we will soon get the whole country talking and doing something about climate change.

IPS: What could hinder you from achieving that goal?

WZ: At the moment, the main challenge could be funding. We are currently receiving reasonable funding from the United Nations Development Programme. The United Nations Environment Programme has also been very supportive in some of our activities.

At the moment, the climate change office is also very small. This makes it difficult for it to effectively carry out its mandate. Brain drain has of late been affecting virtually every sector in Zimbabwe, and we have not been spared. We have been losing well-trained personnel at a very high rate, and it takes a lot of time to train someone on the whole issue.

The understanding of climate change among policymakers is still very limited. Most of them are ignorant or not well conversant with the subject, and as a result, this makes it difficult for them to push for policies that could help our efforts.

There is a lot that can be done at policy level. Like for example, we can come up with policies that allow climate change to be catered for in the school curriculum, right from the lowest level.

We need policies and measures to retain experts at all levels. This will allow for consistency in the implementation of the whole awareness campaign; that is what sustainable development is all about.

IPS: How has the current economic situation in Zimbabwe impacted on climate change and related issues?

WZ: For people to adapt, they should have the resources for them to be able to adapt. At the moment, people do not have food and are struggling. As a result, some are forced to engage in certain activities that could actually worsen the threats of climate change in Zimbabwe, also affecting the entire sub region.