**6. Discussion**

Emerging from this exposition is that if exploited well the potential benefits of climate change could be realised in all the socio-economic development sectors discussed in this article. The country needs to identify the best alternatives that do not involve lots of capital and are adaptive to local communities in Zimbabwe. With reference to the agriculture sector, there are opportunities for livelihoods diversification pointed out by Chikodzi et al. [24] and Chanza [53] where adaptation on ensuring food security under climate change could have the most direct benefits on livelihoods. There are also multiple benefits for food security, including enhancing food production, access to markets and resources, and reduced disaster risk. Effective adaptation of cropping can help ensure food production and thereby contribute to food security and sustainable livelihoods by enhancing current climate risk management. It is also important to point out that climate change has allowed climate sensitive budgeting in the broad socio-economic development sectors of the country.

The situation in benefits of climate adaptation in the water sector appears blurred. There are places, particularly in urban areas, which are expected to experience serious water supply challenges while other areas, mainly rural communities, are evidently harnessing opportunities brought about by climatic events.

**51**

*Deciphering the Climate Change Conundrum in Zimbabwe: An Exposition*

health benefits to countries adopting such a practice [64, 65].

knowledge and understanding to take appropriate action.

From a social development perspective, water and sanitation interventions have also impacted on the gender dimension of the rural community. In a study in Muzarabani, one of the dryland rural community largely regarded as the epicentre of climatic disturbances [51, 62, 63], women and girls who used to travel long distances to access water are now travelling less distances owing to proximity and improved access of portable water from boreholes drilled in their villages [50].

Effective responses in the energy sector tend to be constrained by limited funding for project development, lack of feasibility studies for wind power generation to prove the achievable capacity, lack of financing to upgrade feasibility studies of some small hydropower sites which were carried out back in the 1990s and lake of capacity to install and maintain renewable energy systems. In addition, there are weaknesses in institutional capacity for support mechanisms. Notwithstanding the existing challenges, there are promising nuances in unlocking development benefits to the country, institutions and individuals. Specifically, Zimbabwe should strengthen the policy on energy efficiency along with supporting instruments that can be used to support energy efficiency adoption by industries. The country is challenged to fully develop the market for energy services. Apparently, decision makers lack in awareness on markets for energy services; service providers are unable to deliver the appropriate market services to unlock the market for energy services; and financiers are not appreciative of the energy efficiency business and therefore fail to deliver sustainable financial products. Elsewhere, it has been proven that putting in place mechanisms for accessing energy efficient technologies can create energy security, energy access, employment generation, cost-savings and

In order to fully realise the benefits of climate change in the health sector, the government would need to strengthen its health warning systems on climate-related disturbances. Generally, the early warning systems (EWS) are still weak as they tend to be poorly supported by early action. In other places, the health sector has employed EWS to predict disease for adaptation planning and implementation [66]. For example, studies done in some parts of Africa have assisted in predicting conditions expected to lead to an outbreak of Rift Valley fever [67] and in predicting meningitis against weather and climatic extremes [68] to facilitate early disease interventions. Confalonieri et al. [66] indicate that through public awareness, individual-level responses and adaptation to climate change can be improved. It has been established that the effectiveness of health warning systems, for extreme events such as heat waves and floods, depends on individuals taking appropriate actions [66, 69]. Hence, to achieve maximum benefit from climate response, it is imperative that the disaster affected population has the necessary information,

Health benefits of responding to climate change are well documented. Ludi et al. [17] explain that health benefits can be achieved by greener and more sustainable choices in broad sectors covering household energy, electricity generation, transport, urban planning and land use, buildings, food and agriculture. For example, the use of cleaner fuels and cooking technologies can reduce the large burden of disease from household air pollution in developing countries; greater use of renewables in electricity generation can cut ambient air pollution; behavioural shifts towards walking and cycling can reduce the burdens of both physical inactivity and air pollution [70–72]. Zimbabwe can take advantage of existing health sector interventions such as public education and awareness campaigns to reduce the risk of diarrhoeal and vector-borne diseases whose incidences may be worsened by climate change. Accordingly, adaptation strategies to climate change in the health sector can result in development of capacity building to evade barriers associated with climate change. If attention can be given to such critical institutions as the Meteorological Services Department (MSD),

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.84443*

### *Deciphering the Climate Change Conundrum in Zimbabwe: An Exposition DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.84443*

*Global Warming and Climate Change*

to the portable water as drought events worsen.

In some places such as Muzarabani, it can be argued that the desiccation of wetlands and ponds that previously harboured vectors and acted as breeding grounds for mosquitoes has significantly reduced disease incidences. Drought has also led to serious water scarcities prompting the government and other development partners to sink boreholes in order to improve access to portable water. This means people can now easily access portable water, which previously they could not. In this thinking therefore, climate change is arguably an opportunity for community development through interventions to improve water and sanitation [50]. The major threat to this drive emanates largely from the depletion of ground water sources described earlier. This means communities in some dry regions may only have seasonal access

Existing policies also create adaptation opportunities that can assist in evading adaptation barriers. Worth mentioning is the National Water Policy of 2012 that provides an enabling environment for climate change response. Within it, the Zimbabwe National Water Act specifies the need to use water efficiently and applies a user pays principle that regulates water use. Alongside other development policies, the water policy aims to promote uptake of cleaner and more efficient technologies across all water consumption sectors. This has seen sectoral and institutional collaborations in funding the construction of solar powered boreholes in dry areas of the country such as Chivi District in Masvingo Province. This has been supported by construction of Blair toilets to improve the hygiene and sanitation of the communities [22]. Zimbabwe's Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector is managed and coordinated by an inter-ministerial committee, the National Action Committee (NAC) with the National Coordinating Unit (NCU) as the Secretariat. WASH components comprising of Hygiene Promotion, Water Supply, Excreta Disposal, Vector Control, Solid Waste Management and Drainage require protection from damage and disruption by climate change induced disasters. Should they be damaged, they urgently require restoration to avert deaths, diseases and malnutrition. The NAC has been strategic in engaging partners, mobilising resources and ensuring timeous response to WASH disasters. Undoubtedly, the sector interventions lessen the impacts of climate change as people have access to adequate water supply and sanitary facilities,

which are key provisions in reducing diarrhoea and other infectious diseases.

Emerging from this exposition is that if exploited well the potential benefits of climate change could be realised in all the socio-economic development sectors discussed in this article. The country needs to identify the best alternatives that do not involve lots of capital and are adaptive to local communities in Zimbabwe. With reference to the agriculture sector, there are opportunities for livelihoods diversification pointed out by Chikodzi et al. [24] and Chanza [53] where adaptation on ensuring food security under climate change could have the most direct benefits on livelihoods. There are also multiple benefits for food security, including enhancing food production, access to markets and resources, and reduced disaster risk. Effective adaptation of cropping can help ensure food production and thereby contribute to food security and sustainable livelihoods by enhancing current climate risk management. It is also important to point out that climate change has allowed climate sensitive budgeting in

The situation in benefits of climate adaptation in the water sector appears blurred. There are places, particularly in urban areas, which are expected to experience serious water supply challenges while other areas, mainly rural communities, are evidently harnessing opportunities brought about by climatic events.

the broad socio-economic development sectors of the country.

**50**

**6. Discussion**

From a social development perspective, water and sanitation interventions have also impacted on the gender dimension of the rural community. In a study in Muzarabani, one of the dryland rural community largely regarded as the epicentre of climatic disturbances [51, 62, 63], women and girls who used to travel long distances to access water are now travelling less distances owing to proximity and improved access of portable water from boreholes drilled in their villages [50].

Effective responses in the energy sector tend to be constrained by limited funding for project development, lack of feasibility studies for wind power generation to prove the achievable capacity, lack of financing to upgrade feasibility studies of some small hydropower sites which were carried out back in the 1990s and lake of capacity to install and maintain renewable energy systems. In addition, there are weaknesses in institutional capacity for support mechanisms. Notwithstanding the existing challenges, there are promising nuances in unlocking development benefits to the country, institutions and individuals. Specifically, Zimbabwe should strengthen the policy on energy efficiency along with supporting instruments that can be used to support energy efficiency adoption by industries. The country is challenged to fully develop the market for energy services. Apparently, decision makers lack in awareness on markets for energy services; service providers are unable to deliver the appropriate market services to unlock the market for energy services; and financiers are not appreciative of the energy efficiency business and therefore fail to deliver sustainable financial products. Elsewhere, it has been proven that putting in place mechanisms for accessing energy efficient technologies can create energy security, energy access, employment generation, cost-savings and health benefits to countries adopting such a practice [64, 65].

In order to fully realise the benefits of climate change in the health sector, the government would need to strengthen its health warning systems on climate-related disturbances. Generally, the early warning systems (EWS) are still weak as they tend to be poorly supported by early action. In other places, the health sector has employed EWS to predict disease for adaptation planning and implementation [66]. For example, studies done in some parts of Africa have assisted in predicting conditions expected to lead to an outbreak of Rift Valley fever [67] and in predicting meningitis against weather and climatic extremes [68] to facilitate early disease interventions. Confalonieri et al. [66] indicate that through public awareness, individual-level responses and adaptation to climate change can be improved. It has been established that the effectiveness of health warning systems, for extreme events such as heat waves and floods, depends on individuals taking appropriate actions [66, 69]. Hence, to achieve maximum benefit from climate response, it is imperative that the disaster affected population has the necessary information, knowledge and understanding to take appropriate action.

Health benefits of responding to climate change are well documented. Ludi et al. [17] explain that health benefits can be achieved by greener and more sustainable choices in broad sectors covering household energy, electricity generation, transport, urban planning and land use, buildings, food and agriculture. For example, the use of cleaner fuels and cooking technologies can reduce the large burden of disease from household air pollution in developing countries; greater use of renewables in electricity generation can cut ambient air pollution; behavioural shifts towards walking and cycling can reduce the burdens of both physical inactivity and air pollution [70–72]. Zimbabwe can take advantage of existing health sector interventions such as public education and awareness campaigns to reduce the risk of diarrhoeal and vector-borne diseases whose incidences may be worsened by climate change. Accordingly, adaptation strategies to climate change in the health sector can result in development of capacity building to evade barriers associated with climate change. If attention can be given to such critical institutions as the Meteorological Services Department (MSD),

rural district councils (RDCs) and health institutions, for example through funding, the health system can be strengthened to address climatic challenges.

Overall, although a range of benefits are evident in the broad socio-economic development sectors of the country, much still needs to be done to enhance the sustainability trajectory of climate change responses. Most of the interventions discussed here have mainly been spearheaded by the external driven initiatives, mainly in terms of policy direction and funding. The main reasons for an external driven orientation relate largely to the macro-economic problems that the country has been facing over the past two decades and partly to the heterogeneous acknowledgement of climate change as a development priority on the policy and institutional front.
