SYSTEMIC RISK COMMUNICATION AND GOVERNANCE IN ZIMBABWE: A DOCUMENT ANALYSIS OF CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY RESPONSES

Abstract

This article examines how Zimbabwe communicates and governs systemic risks arising from climate change, with a focus on the institutional arrangements that shape community preparedness and adaptation. Grounded in the International Risk Governance Council (IRGC) Risk Governance Framework and the Social Amplification of Risk Framework (SARF), the study uses qualitative document analysis to interrogate 30 key policy and strategy documents produced between 2005 and 2024. The analysis identifies a predominately top down risk communication architecture, persistent gaps in multi-stakeholder engagement, and coordination shortfalls between national institutions and local communities. Although national policy instruments reflect growing awareness of climate risk and adaptation, practical implementation is constrained by institutional fragmentation, limited mechanisms for meaningful community participation, and underutilisation of indigenous knowledge and digital communication channels. The article concludes by proposing a set of governance and communication reforms to promote inclusive, timely, and actionable risk information, and outlines priorities for future research, especially on integrating indigenous knowledge systems and low cost digital tools into community centred risk governance.