Climate Change, Variability and Sustainable Agriculture in Zimbabwe's Rural Communities (original) (raw)
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Jàmbá : Journal of Disaster Risk Studies, 2020
Despite annual climate variability threats, traditional farming in semi-arid Zimbabwe remains entrenched in unproductive, rain-fed agricultural practices. Adaptation strategies by farmers are seemingly failing to mitigate climate impacts, as evidenced by annual crop and livestock losses. Matabeleland South Province was a thriving livestock and small grain-producing province in the 1970s. Today, the province relies heavily on humanitarian assistance from government and humanitarian agencies. Through literature review, observations and focus group discussions with 129 farmers, the qualitative study established the perceptions of farmers around climate variability impacts in the past 20 years in Mangwe, Matobo and Gwanda districts in Zimbabwe. The study (1) analysed changes in climate and weather patterns in the past 20 years; (2) analysed climate impacts on traditional farming systems in the past 20 years in Gwanda, Mangwe and Matobo districts in Zimbabwe; and (3) established farmers’...
GeoJournal
Climate variability and change (CVC) affect many economic sectors including agriculture. In order to alleviate the negative impact of CVC on food production, farmers must adopt a range of strategies. However, the strategies will be less effective if farmers’ perceptions on CVC are not considered. This study therefore, examined the perceptions of commercial farmers on CVC and their adaptation strategies to the perceived impacts. It used a cross-sectional survey involving 365 farmers in the intensive farming region of Zimbabwe. Results showed that farmers’ perceptions on increasing temperatures and decreasing rainfall amounts were cognate with climate data from the meteorological office. The findings also demonstrated that farmers were well aware of the CVC impacts on their livelihoods. These include increases in the frequency and severity of drought, and a shortening of the length of the rainy season. However, the most significant changes were observed among the natural and economic ...
Journal of Economic Policy and Management Issues, 2023
The primary aim of this study was to examine the perceived impact of climate variation and change on agricultural productivity using the Mazowe district as a case study. The study's specific goals were to ascertain farmers' level of knowledge regarding the effects of climate variability and change, examine how farmers perceive these effects on farming output, and ascertain how climate adaptation strategies affect agricultural production. A cross-sectional research design and a mixed-method technique were used to investigate the impact of climate change. Qualitative and quantitative data was collected using interviews with key informants and semi-structured survey questions. Commercial farmers, extension agents, district administrators, district representatives from the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority, district representatives from the Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, Climate and Rural Development, as well as district Grain Marketing Board (GMB) officials in the Mazowe district were included in the study's target audience. Both simple random sampling and purposeful sampling were used in the investigation. The study found that while climate change had a negative influence on agricultural production, adaptation to the shift had a considerable positive benefit. According to the study, farmers were also aware of the negative effects and potential dangers of climate variability and change. The study recommended education and training programs for farmers regarding the impacts of climate variation and change to ensure the adoption of innovative adaptive strategies such as smart agriculture, artificial insemination, and underground water harvesting.
Review of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Studies
The literature on climate change in Zimbabwe continues to grow, but literature specifically focusing on how people in rural communities are responding to it is still comparatively limited. Only a few scholars have sought to offer a reasonably detailed account of farmers' concerns and adaptation from localised, qualitative case studies based on farmers' narratives. As such, this article is empirically based, using mainly qualitative data from a broader research on understanding climate variability and livelihood adaptation conducted in Mutoko District in rural Zimbabwe. In doing so, the aim is not only to contribute empirical data to existing knowledge but also more importantly to theorise adaptation sociologically. The main argument is that farmers are reflexively engaged in various adaptive strategies predominantly at the household level not only to adapt to increasing climatic variability but also to simultaneously navigate a difficult socioeconomic landscape. The adaptive strategies are underpinned by diverse structures, processes and conditions that are enabling and constraining. Hence adaptation is unfolding as a complex and reflexive process under specific socio-spatial conditions.
Increasing awareness of risks associated with climate change and variability among smallholder farmers is critical in building their capacity to develop the necessary adaptive measures. Using farmer participatory research approaches and formal questionnaire surveys, interaction has been made with >800 farmers in two distinct smallholder farming systems of Makoni and Wedza Districts in eastern Zimbabwe to determine the current level of understanding of climate change and variability, current responses to perceived changes, as well as identify sources of agro-meteorological information. The results indicated that farmers portrayed a varied understanding both within and across the study sites. While poor rainfall distribution was seen as the major indicator for climate change by over two-thirds of the respondents in both sites, more farmers in Makoni attributed delay in onset of rains, high incidences of flush floods and unpredictable 'wind movements' yielding cyclones to climate change. In Wedza, it was recurrent droughts, winter and summer temperature extremes, and increased pest and disease incidences for both crops and livestock that indicated climate change. Perceived changes were linked more to natural and human forces (Makoni), unknown forces as well as breakdown in cultural norms and beliefs and rise of Christianity (Wedza). Disparities between the two sites could be attributed to the inherent differences of the communities in terms to their social settings. The national extension, Agritex, was ranked first by 50-60% of the farmers as major source of weather information. Electronic media (radio and television) ranked second with 47% of farmers in Makoni and 35% in Wedza. Concerns were raised over inadequacies of such information, apparent lack of reliability, timing and frequency of dissemination that directly influenced the utilisation of the information. Common coping strategies included early planting which was the more prevalent in Makoni, while combinations of cereals and legumes were a preferred solution in Wedza. We concluded that farmers' interaction with various information sources and knowledge sharing platforms needs to be enhanced in order to deepen their understanding as well as increase their capacity to respond to pressures of climate variability and change.
Greener Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 2016
This article explores the impact of climate change and variability on food crop productivity in Siabuwa area of Binga district in Matabeleland North Region. The study further examined community based adaptation and mitigation strategies devised by local farmers to cushion the catastrophic effects of climatic transformations. The sustainability of such strategies was also interrogated in the article. The study made use of qualitative methodologies where primary data was generated from a sample of 100 households drawn from a population of 400 family units. Agricultural experts and other stakeholders such as Nongovernmental organizations operating in the district produced records which were critical in the compilation of secondary data. The research used questionnaires and interviews to solicit information and obtain a broader understanding of climate change and livelihood issues from key informants and ascertain how knowledgeable people in the study area were about shocks resulting from climatic modifications and finally establish the adaptation and mitigation strategies devised by farmers to deal with the shocks emanating from such transformations. It was established that some of effects of climatic inconsistencies felt by communal farmers in Siabuwa area included total crop failure, death of livestock and over exploitation of natural resources, all of which have led to declining agricultural productivity and massive devastation of the natural resources base hence plunging local communities into persistent food insecurity and miserable poverty. Findings in the study however established that local communities have not been submissive to the catastrophic effects of climate change and variability, as they have equally responded by adopting various adaptation and mitigation strategies both individually and collectively. The study concluded that widespread poverty and food insecurity in arid regions of Zimbabwe are directly linked to climatic transformations as it has been established that poor agricultural productivity is aggravated by climate change and variability.
Climate Risk Management, 2014
Vulnerability analysis is essential for targeting adaptation options to impacts of climate variability and change, particularly in diverse systems with limited resources such as smallholder farms in sub-Saharan Africa. To investigate the nature and sources of vulnerability of smallholder farmers to climate variability and change, we analysed long term climate data and interviewed farmers individually and in groups in Makoni and Hwedza districts in eastern Zimbabwe. Farmers' perceptions of changes in climate characteristics matched the recorded data. Total seasonal rainfall has not changed, but variability in the rainfall distribution within seasons has increased. The mean daily minimum temperature increased by 0.2°C per decade in both Makoni and Hwedza. The mean daily maximum temperature increased by 0.5°C per decade in Hwedza. The number of days with temperatures >30°C also increased in Hwedza. Farmers indicated that livestock production was sensitive to drought due to lack of feed, affecting resource-endowed farmers, who own relatively large herds of cattle. Crop production was more sensitive to increased rainfall variability, largely affecting farmers with intermediate resource endowment. Availability of wild fruits and social safety nets were affected directly and indirectly by extreme temperatures and increased rainfall variability, impacting on the livelihoods of resourceconstrained farmers. There was no evidence of a simple one-to-one relationship between vulnerability and farmer resource endowment, suggesting that vulnerability to climate variability and change is complex and not simply related to assets. Alongside climate variability and change, farmers were also faced with biophysical and socioeconomic challenges such as lack of fertilizers, and these problems had strong interactions with adaptation options to climate change. Diversifying crops and cultivars, staggering planting date and managing soil fertility were identified as the major adaptation options to stabilize yields against increased rainfall variability. There is need to evaluate the identified adaptation options on farm and with the participation of farmers to provide empirical evidence on the best options for different households.
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...
2020
The present study explores the impact of climate change on subsistence farming in Mutoko community, Zimbabwe. Mutoko is a rural community situated in the eastern part of Zimbabwe. Climate change is one of the biggest environmental challenges. Its impact is more intense in developing countries, particularly in rural communities which have become a major concern to the societal livelihood. The most affected people are the rural poor because they are highly dependent on climatic and environmental factors in addition to their greater reliance on climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture and health, posing critical challenges for natural development. Focus group discussions were conducted to explore perceptions of climate change and its impacts on subsistence farming. The study reports community members’ awareness of changes in the local natural environment. The changes are increased temperature and scarcity of rain. Observable impacts of these changes are decreased crop yields becau...