HARARE, Apr. 25 (NewsDay Live) — The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) board has approved a US$25 million grant for Zimbabwe to support rural communities severely affected by climate change.
The funding is expected to revitalise smallholder agriculture, improve grazing areas and water resources, and catalyse private sector investment.
The grant will finance the Zimbabwe Agricultural Climate Resilient and Vulnerability Reduction Project (ACRES), which aims to strengthen climate resilience, enhance food security and create economic opportunities for thousands of vulnerable rural households.
Funded through the bank’s Transition Support Facility (TSF) Pillar 1, the ACRES project will run from 2026 to 2030, targeting some of the country’s most climate-vulnerable regions.
Implementation will focus on Masvingo Province (Gutu district) and Matabeleland South (Gwanda, Matobo, Mangwe and Bulilima districts), areas characterised by high livestock populations and acute exposure to erratic and declining rainfall.
The project is expected to directly benefit about 92 500 smallholder farmers—at least 50% of them women and 20% youth—who face persistent food insecurity, recurrent droughts and limited economic opportunities that have contributed to widespread poverty and irregular migration.
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An estimated 200 000 people in surrounding communities will benefit indirectly through improved infrastructure and stronger food systems, including enhanced nutrition and economic stability.
ACRES is also projected to generate 320 full-time jobs and about 2 100 seasonal jobs across crop and livestock value chains.
“This investment represents a critical intervention to build climate resilience, reduce vulnerability and improve food and nutrition security in Zimbabwe’s most vulnerable rural communities,” said Eyerusalem Fasika.
AfDB director of Agriculture and Agro-Industry Martin Fregene said the project aligns with the bank’s strategic priorities set by its president, Sidi Ould Tah.
“The project will enhance adaptive capacity, promote sustainable economic opportunities and strengthen rural communities’ resilience to climate change within the target areas,” Fregene said.
The AfDB has been a longstanding partner in Zimbabwe’s rural development, supporting programmes aimed at reducing food insecurity and poverty. The ACRES initiative further strengthens that partnership and underscores the government’s focus on climate-smart agriculture and investment in agricultural infrastructure as key pillars of its development strategy.