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Masvingo Province- The opening remarks of the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Minister Daniel Garwe, formally launched the SADC meeting of the Committee of Ministers Responsible for Disaster Risk Management (DRM) held at the Great Zimbabwe Hotel from May 11 to May 14, 2026.
The gathering, under the theme “Building Back Better Together: Advancing Resilient Recovery and Sustainable Development in SADC,” brought together regional ministers, officials, and development partners to strengthen disaster risk management across the Southern African Development Community.
In his address, Minister Garwe welcomed attendees from across the region, including the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Masvingo Province, Ezra Chadzamira, and other senior government officials.
He emphasized the shared objective of safeguarding lives, livelihoods, and development gains in the face of increasingly frequent and severe shocks.
The minister noted that the recent rainfall season’s devastating floods and cyclones—in Malawi, South Africa, Mozambique, and Madagascar—illustrated climate variability’s growing impact and emphasized the need for proactive, regional cooperation.
Garwe applauded the timely response of the SADC Humanitarian and Emergency Operations (SHOC) for deploying Emergency Response Teams and thanked member states, partners, and responders for their solidarity.
He urged continued strengthening of SHOC’s capacities to support preparation, response, and recovery, and highlighted the development of a SADC Prepositioning Strategy to enhance regional readiness through stockpiling and anticipatory action.
The minister warned that disasters are becoming more complex, intense, and interconnected, and urged a shift from reactive to proactive programming.
He called for the broader incorporation of anticipatory approaches to cushion communities from adverse weather impacts and to align with regional and global frameworks, including the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030), the SADC DRM Strategy, Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, and local development plans.
Minister Garwe also stressed the importance of operationalizing the SADC DRM Strategy to yield tangible national and community-level outcomes.
Beyond reconstruction, Garwe said that Building Back Better entails transformational improvements to infrastructure and systems so that schools, hospitals, roads, and communities withstand future shocks.
He urged climate-proofing infrastructure, climate-smart agricultural practices, and urban planning that accounts for climate risk, all while unlocking opportunities for green growth and innovation.
The minister’s address also noted the region’s progress in establishing regional DRM frameworks, Early Warning Systems (EWS), and coordinated response mechanisms, while acknowledging the need for continued enhancement of SHOC, data sharing, and early-action capabilities.
Garwe highlighted the critical role of climate change adaptation in national development plans and urged investment in disaster risk reduction as a cost-effective preventive measure.
He called for stronger community-based DRM, inclusive approaches that actively involve women, youth, and persons with disabilities, and increased domestic resource mobilization to fund risk reduction within national budgets. The Minister also pointed to the opportunities presented by the digital age—satellite imagery, geographic information systems, and mobile-based early warning platforms—as tools to improve prediction, preparedness, and response.
Concluding his remarks, Garwe urged concrete, actionable outcomes from the deliberations and reconciliation of regional coordination with national implementation.
He reaffirmed a commitment to solidarity, resilience, and sustainable development, declaring that the meeting would produce recommendations to strengthen regional systems and accelerate the implementation of disaster risk reduction strategies.
SADC ministers during 4 day meeting discussed operational strategies, funding mechanisms, stakeholder partnerships, and the rollout of anticipatory action and climate-resilient development initiatives across SADC member states.
