Country: Zimbabwe

The Expert Deployment Mechanism – Climate Action Africa (EDM-CAA) initiative, funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC), deploys Canadian climate change experts to partner with governments, NGOs, the private sector, civil society organizations and post-secondary institutions on targeted, short-term technical assistance in support of implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement in Sub-Saharan Africa– with a focus on climate governance, mitigation (renewable energy and LULUCF), adaptation (water and agriculture), and increasing women’s participate and leadership in climate actions.

This technical assistance aims to strengthen Zimbabwe’s capacity to develop the key elements of a National REDD+ Strategy. This included consolidating existing studies, identifying drivers of deforestation, developing mitigation options, and integrating gender-responsive approaches. The intervention also sought to improve institutional, legal, and policy frameworks to enable Zimbabwe to implement REDD+ effectively, enhance forest governance, and contribute to the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.

Fokabs, as the technical expert organization, delivers the assignment by implementing the following activities:

• Policy and Institutional Review: Assess existing policy, legal, and institutional frameworks related to forest governance and land use, identifying gaps and opportunities for integrating REDD+ measures.
• Drivers of Deforestation Analysis: Compile and integrate findings from national studies on deforestation and forest degradation into the REDD+ strategy development process.
• Roadmap and Strategic Options: Design a roadmap for developing the REDD+ strategy and proposed gender-responsive strategic options to address key drivers such as cropland expansion, infrastructure development, and illegal mining.
• Safeguards and Social Inclusion: Facilitate workshops with local communities and stakeholders (including women’s groups) to identify priority Cancun safeguards, and developed guidelines for establishing a Safeguards Information System (SIS).
• Stakeholder Engagement: Design and implement a comprehensive consultation plan with government agencies, civil society, private sector, and local communities to ensure inclusive participation in shaping the strategy.
• Capacity Building: Deliver training and knowledge-sharing sessions to strengthen technical expertise in Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) systems, social safeguards, and gender integration in REDD+ activities.

Duration: 08/2025 – 12/2025

Client: Alinea, Econoler, WSP