Socio-economic impacts of climate change on indigenous communities in the save valley area of Chipinge district, Zimbabwe (original) (raw)

Diagnosing barriers to climate change adaptation at community level: reflections from Silobela, Zimbabwe

GeoJournal, 2018

The limits to climate change adaptation existing in many places experiencing climatic events are evident in Silobela, a dryland district in central Zimbabwe. Current understanding about failure in adaptation systems tends to be generalised and coursegrained. Yet, experiences for coping with and adapting to climate change tend to be local-specific, varying according to the magnitude and severity of climatic events. This study utilises the experiences of locals witnessing environmental changes associated with climate change. It uses participatory climate impact analysis to understand whether available livelihoods coping practices can withstand climatic impacts. Participatory research was used to rank the spectrum of livelihood options according to their significance in the face of climate change-induced drought and other socioeconomic pressures. A coping capacity index (CCI) was used to estimate the level of adaptation limit imposed by each livelihood strategy, with composite CCI values generated to compare the coping capacities of villages studied. Given that most of the livelihoods options are climate dependent, and combined with other non-climatic drivers of vulnerability that are besetting rural areas in Zimbabwe, we argue that adaptation limits abound. Most of these limits are explained by the limitation of the environment that the villagers largely depend on for their survival. With the analytic capabilities of participants engaged, the article isolates three departure points for adaptation research, policy and practice: understanding the type and magnitude of climatic hazards that the locals are exposed to; assessment of their coping capacities and determination of adaptation barriers; and using their knowledge of the local environment to suggest interventions for evading adaptation barriers.

Survival mechanisms adopted by rural communities experiencing climate change: the case of Hama, Chirumanzu, Zimbabwe

2018

This research serves the purpose of revealing the survival mechanisms or response strategies that Hama community employed amidst of climate change manifestation. The study delved the various key segments namely environment, agriculture, water, health and energy which are important for human survival highlighted in the Zimbabwe National Climate Change Response Strategy (ZNCCRS, 2013). The research encompassed two crucial elements with regards to survival mechanisms adopted by the community, that is, climate change adaptation and mitigation. Adaptation involves coping or surviving of a population experiencing climate v

Towards ‘Leaving No One Behind’: A Case Study of Climate Change Adaptation in Mutoko District, Zimbabwe

EURASIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

This study assesses climate change adaptation strategies employed by community members in Mutoko district of Zimbabwe. Adaptation strategies to climate change are responses to actual or expected climatic stimuli which are meant to moderate harm or exploit associated beneficial opportunities. Rural communities are prone to suffer more from the effects of climate change because they largely depend on natural resources and a subsistence economy for their survival. Hence, knowledge of climate change effects and adaptation strategies will ensure the realization of agenda 2063 and Sustainable Development Goals. Agenda 2063 focuses on, among other things, African development of modern agriculture for increased production and value addition to farmers and national prosperity as well as Africa’s collective food security. This case study explores climate change knowledge and adaptation practices by communities in the Mutoko district. A qualitative research methodology and an exploratory desig...

Building resilience to climate change in vulnerable communities: A case study of uMkhanyakude district municipality

Town and Regional Planning

Climate change in South Africa remains an issue of socioeconomic and environmental concern. An increase in frequency and intensity of climatic events pose significant threats to biophysical and socioeconomic aspects, namely food security, water resources, agriculture, biodiversity, tourism, and poverty. In order to counteract the socioeconomic and environmental concerns pertaining to issues of climate change, emergent insights on climate change strategies suggest that building resilience in human and environmental systems is an ideal way of combating dynamic environmental conditions and future uncertainties. Using the qualitative secondary data approach, this article evaluates whether vulnerable communities in uMkhanyakude District Municipality can become resilient to the implications of climate change. UMkhanyakude District Municipality is predominantly rural and one of the most impoverished districts in KwaZulu-Natal, with the majority of socially and economically marginalised individuals and households experiencing more severe impacts as a result of climate change compared to those in urban areas. Data was analysed using content analysis and a concise summary of the biophysical and socioeconomic aspects is presented. This research suggests that building resilience to climate change is possible when bottom-up, proactive and systematic measures are taken to manage vulnerable areas such as those in uMkhanyakude District Municipality. It recommends that social impact assessments (SIA) be conducted to assist in terms of assessing social consequences that are likely to follow from policy actions.

International Journal of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences Studies V 6 • I 3 • 102 Building Community Resilience in the Post 2015-16 El Nino Drought: Challenges and Emerging Issues in Bubi District, Zimbabwe

International Journal of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences studies (IJAHSSS), 2021

The post 2015-16 El Nino drought era has been coupled by recurrence of climate change induced hazards like floods and drought which have weakened the agricultural sector which is a major source of livelihood for the rural households, diminished infrastructure, and have caused human mortality through water borne diseases in Zimbabwe. This study examined the efficacy of household adaptation strategies" response to persistent hazards, explored challenges and emerging issues in building community resilience and highlighted key viable solutions to enhancing community resilience in Bubi district. Using mixed research methods of questionnaires, key informant interviews and desk reviews, the study established that, as a result of trainings from MELANA of adoption and promotion of drought tolerant small livestock production, local communities in Bubi dominantly adopted off farm methods inclusive of goat production (54%), vending and trading (31%) and poultry production (15%). "On farm" household adaptation methods practiced included the practice of climate smart agriculture technics which are however resulted in improved yields. Emerging challenges towards resilience building included institutional weakness (45%), dependency syndrome (32%), poor infrastructure (15%) and financial exclusion (8%). The study acknowledges that a shift from humanitarian aid to resilience promotes self-sustenance, persistence, adaptation and transformation which is sustainable to withstand the impacts of hazards like the El Nino drought as witnessed in Bubi District.

Challenges faced by rural people in mitigating the effects of climate change in the Mazungunye communal lands, Zimbabwe

Jàmbá: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies

The phenomenon of climate change is one of the most contested and debated concepts globally. Some governments still deny the existence of climate change and its impact on rural–urban areas around the world. However, the effects of climate change have been visible in rural Zimbabwe, with some communities facing food insecurity, water scarcity and loss of livestock. Climate change has impacted negatively on agriculture, which is the main source of livelihood in Zimbabwe’s rural communities. This study aims at exploring challenges faced by rural people in mitigating the effects of climate change in the Mazungunye community, Masvingo Province, in Zimbabwe. The objectives of the study were to identify the challenges that impede effective adaptation of rural people to climate change hazards and to examine their perceptions on how to foster effective adaptation. The researchers conducted a qualitative research study guided by descriptive and exploratory research designs. Purposive sampling...

Mechanisms to Cope With Climate Change in Chiredzi District of Masvingo, Zimbabwe

2018

DOI: 10.21276/sjahss.2018.6.3.30 Abstract: The study examined climate change coping mechanisms in rural communities in Chiredzi District. Chiredzi rural district communities are experiencing effects of climate change in the form of droughts and high temperatures and low annual rainfall that has culminated in low agricultural productivity. The research objectives of the study were to explore the effects of climate change on human security, examining the coping mechanisms currently employed mitigate the effects of climate and to assess the sustainability of the coping mechanisms by villagers in the Chiredzi District. The study used a descriptive research design with a sample of 71 respondents (n=71) chosen using simple random sampling method. Primary data was collected using questionnaire with a five point Likert scale, focus group discussion and interviews. The research results indicated that to a very great extent climate causes floods, droughts, storms and cyclones, fires, heat wav...

Indigenous-based practices of adapting to climate change: Reflections from Chirumhanzu, Zimbabwe

IOSR Journal of Environmental Science, Toxicology and Food Technology (IOSR-JESTFT), 2017

The relevance of indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) in climate science is increasingly being given some attention. This study uses the indigenous-based knowledge, experiences and practices of villagers in Ward 23 of Chirumhanzu District in Zimbabwe to gather their ways of responding to climatic stimuli. The study area remains a climate hotspot zone where climatic vagaries have remained a major threat to the locals whose livelihoods are largely dependent on rain-fed agriculture and natural resource base. In order to understand the IKS practices in place, both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used. A total of 200 respondents participated in a questionnaire-based survey, key informant interviews and focus group discussions. Using the analytic capabilities of Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS), a Multinomial Linear Regression Analysis was computed to assess the significance level of socio-demographic factors on household perception on climate change and choice of climatic response. It emerged that the study area is indigenous knowledge rich. Farmers use plant, animal, insects, birds and atmospheric indicators to predict weather conditions. Perceptions on the causes of climate change was based on cultural, religious and human induced issues which significantly vary with socio-demographic determinants. The challenges of using IKS in climate change adaptation include disappearance of key environmental indicators and poor knowledge sharing culture among the people. These challenges have therefore reduced the reliability in IKS utilization by the locals. The study suggests integration of indigenous-based knowledge with scientific knowledge as a remedy for strengthening climate adaptation strategies at community level.

The political ecology of stakeholder-driven climate change adaptation: Case study from Ntalale ward, Gwanda district, in Zimbabwe

Jàmbá: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies

Vulnerable rural communities face climate change-related shifts in rainfall patterns, particularly droughts and floods. The study investigated how Ntalale ward households in Gwanda district of Zimbabwe interpret climate change and adapt to its stressors in the context of the Zimbabwean political economy. Focus group discussions and interviews collected qualitative data. The community has experienced the following climate change-related risks: droughts, floods, heatwave and intra-seasonal rainfall variability. Droughts were reported to be occurring more frequent in the past 25 years as compared to the period before 1991. Ntalale area experienced floods in the 2002–2003 rainy season only. Respondents generally perceived that the rainy season had changed in the past 5 years, with the season now beginning in December and ending in March. The households have resorted to shifting cultivation practices, replanting, use of wetlands in preference to upland fields, changing of seed varieties ...

Improving Livelihoods of Resettled Farmers Through Development of a Knowledge Base on Climate Change in Mhondoro – Ngezi District, Zimbabwe

Climate induced famine has had adverse effects and has been the worst disaster from which most resettled farmers experience and suffer from. It remains a topical agenda and a bone of contention in most countries of the global south. Despite remaining a challenge in most farming areas, the small holder farmers have struggled to come up with alternative livelihoods emanating from effective understanding of climate change. Hence using data from interviews, questionnaires and focused group discussions, this paper aimed at unravelling rural livelihoods which enhance local people's understanding and grasping of the effects of climate change induced disasters in Mhondoro-Ngezi district. The study noted that smallholder farmers are applying conservation farming (CF), small livestock production, irrigation schemes like gardening, agro-forestry, gold panning and fishing. The research also pointed out that 62% of the local farmers were not satisfied with the level knowledge base they have concerning climate change. The snail pace development of a knowledge base on climate change is being held back by challenges which include poor service delivery by government departments, lack of resources, unclear selection of beneficiaries, extreme reliance on Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) and policy inconsistency. The study recommended that agricultural extension officers need to be capacitated so that they train farmers on the importance of seasonal climate change forecast information. There is need for increased participation in the realm of development agencies (NGOs and government) and be more sincere with the participation of communities through the development of a knowledge base on climate change adaptation programmes.