Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
The Southern African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD) has appealed to the government to strengthen preparedness for the country in view of the possible drought the country might experience.
SACCORD executive director Boniface Cheembe says this preparedness is important as it will help the country to be able to manage or mitigate the conflicts that are likely to arise out of climate change in view of the unpredictable weather patterns.
Mr Cheembe says it is now clear that calamities related to climate change, such as drought, make this phenomenon a conflict driver and threat multiplier as it takes advantage of the nation’s vulnerabilities that are already in existence such as economic vulnerabilities, among others.
He states that the net effect of the potential drought because of climate change might be negative ramifications on human security and livelihoods leading to conflicts due to reduced economic as well as agricultural outputs.
Mr Cheembe says government working with stakeholders needs to cultivate community resilience by formulating a viable climate change and conflict prevention strategy to mitigate the threat multiplier impact of climate change.
He says some considerations for such a strategy are a strengthened and well supported disaster management and mitigation unit(DMMU) and implementation of the arms trade treaty(ATT),among others.