Story by Owen Mandovha
THE European Union has intensified efforts to finance Zimbabwe’s biodiversity and climate resilience programmes through the Nature Africa Programme.
Government has completed plans to access the US$60 million Nature Africa Fund, which is aimed at preserving biodiversity in major transfrontier parks across Southern Africa.
This emerged during a courtesy call by the European Union Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Ms Katrin Hagemann, on the Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, Dr Evelyn Ndlovu.
Speaking after the meeting, Ambassador Hagemann highlighted ongoing cooperation between the EU and Zimbabwe in mitigating climate change and preserving biodiversity.
“The EU has been working with Southern African countries to enhance biodiversity preservation, and this meeting was important in discussing the modalities for accessing this critical fund. We are also working on community resilience programmes to support people in affected communities, particularly in vulnerable areas,” she said.
Dr Ndlovu commended the EU for its continued support towards Zimbabwe’s climate resilience and biodiversity initiatives, adding that the submission of the national plans increases the country’s prospects of accessing the fund.
“Our plans have been submitted, and we are pleased that the EU continues to support Zimbabwe in many areas of cooperation to advance its development goals,” she said.
Bilateral relations between Zimbabwe and the EU continue to strengthen, culminating in the inaugural Zimbabwe-EU Business Forum, where several member states pledged to invest in various sectors of the economy.
