Accounting for non-economic loss and damages in the aftermath of tropical cyclone Idai in Chimanimani District, Zimbabwe

Abstract

Disaster management policy often privileges quantifiable impacts, yet non-economic losses and damages (NELDs) profoundly shape human and community well-being. This study examines NELDs in Chimanimani District, Zimbabwe, following Cyclone Idai, across four domains: (1) loss of life and health; (2) loss of place, belonging, and cultural identity; (3) disruption of social networks and collective memory; and (4) psychological and spiritual well-being. Using a mixed-methods approach that combines longitudinal ethnographic inquiry, in-depth qualitative interviews, and document analysis, the study explores the intangible, socially embedded, and culturally mediated dimensions of loss and damage that extend beyond material destruction. The findings reveal that extreme climate events generate significant emotional burdens and reshape social, cultural, and spiritual systems through which communities sustain collective life. By placing NELDs at the centre of analysis, the study advances a justice-centred approach to loss and damage, emphasising the need to embed distributional, procedural, and recognition justice in research and practice. Methodologically, longitudinal ethnography captures slow, complex, and culturally embedded losses, generating the nuanced insights necessary to inform context-sensitive policies and disaster governance that honour human dignity, cultural integrity, and social cohesion.