Towards a common vision of climate, peace, security and migration in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe, one of the Southern African countries most affected by climate variability and change, experienced its worst drought in decades this year, impacting over 80% of its population and prompting a national disaster declaration. The increasing frequency and severity of climate impacts are heightening risks to social cohesion, resilience, stability, and peace, complicating the country's security and development landscape. Addressing these challenges requires a multi-stakeholder approach, integrating conflict-sensitivity and peacebuilding into climate policies and actions.

Zimbabwe’s national climate change policy framework, while robust, requires broader collaboration beyond the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Wildlife. Effective climate action must involve humanitarian, development, and peace sector actors leveraging their expertise and mandates. Mainstreaming a conflict-sensitive and peacebuilding lens into climate change policies, legal frameworks, and adaptation and mitigation programs can enhance resilience and foster long-term environmental stability, promoting peaceful co-existence, collaboration, and trust.

As Zimbabwe advances its climate change agenda, including the upcoming National Adaptation Plan and the Climate Change Bill, opportunities for integrating peace and security considerations are emerging. A recent workshop in Harare highlighted pathways through which climate change impacts can affect peace and security, emphasizing the need for coordinated, multi-sectoral efforts to build resilience and mitigate risks. Strengthening household and community resilience capacities, incorporating traditional knowledge, and fostering partnerships with the private sector are critical for achieving sustainable development and peace in Zimbabwe.