Minister Garwe Urges SADC to Shift From Reactive Disaster Response to Climate Preparedness

By Brenda Mazhambe

Zimbabwe’s Minister of Local Government and Public Works has urged Southern African countries to abandon reactive disaster response systems and urgently invest in climate preparedness as floods, cyclones and droughts continue to intensify across the region.

Speaking during the opening of the SADC Committee of Ministers Responsible for Disaster Risk Management meeting at the Great Zimbabwe Hotel recently, Hon Garwe warned that climate-induced disasters were becoming more frequent, destructive and interconnected, threatening development gains within the region.

“The disasters we face today are becoming more complex, more intense and more interconnected. Floods, droughts, cyclones and other hazards are no longer occasional shocks; they are recurring challenges that threaten our development trajectory,” he said.

Hon Garwe said recent flooding and cyclones in the region had exposed weaknesses in regional preparedness systems after homes, roads and critical infrastructure were destroyed while thousands of people were displaced.

He noted that SADC member states must move away from waiting for disasters to occur before mobilising resources.

“We must therefore move beyond reactive approaches and embrace a proactive, forward-looking agenda,” he said.

The minister called for stronger investment in Early Warning Systems, technology and data-sharing mechanisms to improve disaster prediction and response across the region. He also urged the strengthening of the SADC Humanitarian and Emergency Operations Centre (SHOC), saying it should be fully capacitated to coordinate emergency response efforts within member states.

“We must invest in data, technology and information sharing to enhance Early Warning for Early Action,” he said.

He revealed that SADC was developing a regional prepositioning strategy aimed at stockpiling humanitarian aid and emergency resources in anticipation of future disasters.

He also warned that climate change remained one of the biggest drivers of disaster risk in Southern Africa, with rising temperatures, erratic rainfall and extreme weather events undermining sustainable development efforts.

On national development planning, Hon Garwe said governments should integrate climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction into national development plans by climate-proofing roads, hospitals, schools and other public infrastructure.

“Infrastructure must be climate-proofed to withstand vagaries of climate change; agriculture must also adapt while urban planning must be alive to climate risk.

“Investing in prevention and preparedness is far more cost-effective than responding to disasters after they occur,” he said.

The minister also stressed the importance of empowering communities through grassroots disaster risk management systems, saying local communities were often the first affected and the first responders during emergencies.

The regional meeting is deliberating on strategies aimed at strengthening resilience, improving coordination and accelerating disaster risk reduction programmes within the region.