LocationsJourney to building a more resilient Zimbabwe
Journey to Zimbwbwe Resilience Building Fund (ZRBF) 2
May 14, 2026
In brief:
• Strong partnerships between the Government of Zimbabwe, the EU, Ireland, Sweden, the UK and UNDP have driven a decade of resilience investments that continue to anchor ZRBF’s impact.
• ZRBF Phase 1 strengthened community resilience for over 1.1 million Zimbabweans—62% women and 25% youth—reducing vulnerability and improving food security.
• Climate-smart agriculture, savings groups, and market linkages enabled households to withstand shocks, recover faster, and build sustainable livelihoods.
• Bridging investments (2023–2024) expanded water systems, agro-processing centres, and livelihood projects that helped communities maintain and grow resilience gains.
• ZRBF Phase 2 (2025–2028) is set to benefit 450,000 people across seven districts by advancing climate action, natural resource management, and food and nutrition security.
Over the last decade, Zimbabwe has faced increasing climate-related shocks that continue to undermine rural livelihoods and national development. Recurrent droughts, floods, and erratic rainfall patterns have disrupted agricultural production, the backbone of most rural economies. Limited access to finance, weak market systems, and inadequate early warning and response mechanisms have further deepened community vulnerability, trapping households in recurring cycles of crisis and recovery.
Yet in the face of these challenges, communities across Zimbabwe have been quietly redefining what it means to be resilient and thrive amid changing weather patterns. Their determination and innovation have become the foundation for building lasting resilience.
When the Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund (ZRBF) launched in 2015, it marked a decisive shift in Zimbabwe’s approach to resilience building, moving beyond short-term recovery to empower communities to adapt to new realities, recover, and thrive amid growing climate challenges.
Through innovative approaches and local action, communities under ZRBF learned to stand stronger. From climate-smart agriculture to savings groups and market linkages, these efforts helped families withstand shocks, recover faster, and secure their livelihoods. The programme flexibility enabled swift responses to challenges without losing focus on long-term goals. Alongside this, a strong learning and monitoring system captured real-time data, guided quick decisions, and built a growing body of resilience knowledge.
Shumirayi Chindori, mushroom farmer
Women have been the backbone of the story, leading change from the ground up. They formed and turned small savings groups into thriving businesses that feed families, educate children, contribute to community development, and inspire hope. Farmers adopted drought-tolerant seed varieties, while youth found new purpose through climate-smart innovation.
“ZRBF changed the way we live,” said Shumirayi Chindori, a mushroom farmer from Hurungwe. “We now know how to prepare for droughts before they happen. Our community is stronger together,” she added
This success was not only reflected in improved livelihoods, but in a transformation of thinking. Communities began to view resilience as more than surviving a crisis, it became about adapting to new realities, planning, and building systems that endure. By the time ZRBF Phase 1 concluded in 2023, food security had improved, local systems had grown stronger, and resilience had become community-owned, reaching over 1.1 million Zimbabweans, of whom 62% were women and 25% youth.
Building forward, turning past gains into lasting growth.
Lady in picture mixing the cow dung for the biogas preparation
Resilience is not a destination, it’s a journey. ZRBF Phase 1 concluded in 2023, laying the foundation for stronger, more adaptive communities across Zimbabwe. As the programme ended and discussions on Phase 2 took shape, new partners stepped forward in from 2023 to 2024 to sustain progress, bridging the gap with renewed investments and collective commitment. Key interventions targeted Mbire, Kariba, and Hurungwe in the Mid-Zambezi region, addressing challenges such as limited access to markets, low production capacities, and climate-related risks.
The agro-processing centre in Mbire was established to enable youth to scale up production, value addition, and access wider markets. Community water schemes were expanded, providing reliable water for irrigation, livestock, and household use. Mushroom farming initiatives were strengthened, offering alternative livelihoods, enhancing food security, and creating opportunities for income generation. Additionally, these interventions were complemented by training in climate-smart agricultural practices, financial literacy, and market linkages, ensuring communities to sustain and grow their gains beyond the programme’s lifetime.
The Journey Continues
Building on past achievements, ZRBF Phase 2 is advancing resilience efforts from November 2023 to December 2028, aiming to benefit 450,000 people. Spanning seven districts across the Mid-Zambezi, south-western, and southern regions, the programme strengthens collaboration among key partners to tackle climate challenges head-on.
By advancing climate action, promoting sustainable natural resource management, and strengthening food and nutrition security, the programme ensures that hundreds of thousands of people do more than survive climate shocks: they thrive, seize new opportunities, and build a stronger sustainable future by adapting to a rapidly changing environment.
“UNDP aims to provide innovative solutions that support livelihoods, strengthen governance, and promote sustainable development,” said Dr. Ayodele Odusola, UNDP Resident Representative. “ZRBF 2 builds on past successes to ensure that communities, including those in hard-to-reach areas, are empowered to manage their natural resources, improve food security, and adapt to climate and economic challenges,” he added
The outgoing Ambassador of the EU delegation to Zimbabwe, Ambassador Jobst von Kirchmann reiterated the similar sentiments emphasizing on the past and expected impact of the project and added, “resilience-building must be a joint, long-term effort. By working together and building on past successes, we can create lasting, positive change.”
Speaking during the launch of ZRBF Phase 2, Ambassador Gormley, Ambassador of Ireland to Zimbabwe, urged all partners and stakeholders to fully commit to its success. He highlighted that the Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund would directly support ordinary men and women in communities at risk of climate hazards.
All these resilience efforts have been led by the Government of Zimbabwe since 2015, with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) providing both financial support and programme implementation.
The first phase of the Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund (ZRBF), implemented between 2015 and 2023, was supported through a partnership between the Government of Zimbabwe, the European Union (EU), Sweden, the UK Government, and UNDP
Between 2023 and 2025, the Government of Ireland and UNDP, with support from the Government of Zimbabwe, provided bridging funds to sustain and strengthen the gains achieved under ZRBF Phase 1.
From 2025 to date, ZRBF Phase 2 is being implemented under the leadership and guidance of the Government of Zimbabwe, with financial support from the European Union and the Government of Ireland. Food Agricultural Organization is providing technical expertise on natural resource management and agriculture , while UNDP is the fund manager with overall oversight on partner management, programme implementation, monitoring and evaluation, capacity building, and reporting.
ZRBF 2 stands as a catalyst for lasting transformation, uniting donors, development partners and communities to build a Zimbabwe where resilience is a way of life. By strengthening local systems, protecting ecosystems, and promoting sustainable livelihoods, the programme empowers people to not only withstand climate and economic shocks but to thrive beyond them. It paves the way for a more inclusive, climate-resilient, and prosperous Zimbabwe that leaves no one behind.