Washington Zhakata, the acting Permanent Secretary for Environment, Climate, and Wildlife, has been appointed vice chair of the Adaptation Fund, which is part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), as reported by The Herald.
The Adaptation Fund helps developing countries affected by climate change by funding specific projects. Since it started in 2010, the fund has given over $1.2 billion to help more than 45 million people through 176 projects aimed at vulnerable communities.
One important feature of the fund is the Direct Access model, which allows countries to get funding directly and carry out projects through accredited national agencies. In Zimbabwe, the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has been approved to manage funds from the Adaptation Fund.
ALSO READ: Mutapa Investment Fund Set to Acquire Drug Maker CAPS Holdings
Among the approved projects is a $5 million initiative to help communities and ecosystems in dry areas of Zimbabwe become more resilient to climate change, which the EMA is implementing. Another $5 million project aims to improve how local communities use groundwater to adapt to climate change, and this project is being carried out by UNESCO. There is also an additional $10 million available for more projects in Zimbabwe.
Zhakata is the Director of the Climate Change Management Department and the vice chair of the Radiation Protection Authority of Zimbabwe, which is responsible for nuclear security. He has a Master’s degree in Atmospheric Physics and other advanced qualifications. He has significant experience, having previously worked at the Meteorological Services Department and taught at the University of Zimbabwe for nearly 15 years. He has also worked as the National Programme Coordinator for Climate Change with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
