The impact of climate change and variability on smallholder farmers: a case of ward 10, Zaka district. 2000 - 2014.

Abstract

As the debate on the impact of global climate change goes on at global and regional scale, climate change impacts are already being felt at local level. This research aims at exploring impacts of climate change on smallholder farmers’ livelihood in ward 10 of Zaka District of Zimbabwe. Specifically the study seeks to: determine climate change manifestations; evaluate household-level impacts of climate change on smallholder farmers’ livelihoods and lastly; to investigate the extent of household-level coping and adaptation strategies to climate change in Zaka rural community in Zimbabwe, especially farmers in ward 10. The research is highly qualitative, the instruments used include; key informant interviews, structured observations and a household questionnaire survey. Climate change has contributed to significant local environmental stresses affecting local resources such as forests, fauna, water, pastures and soil among other natural assets. The local livelihoods show high levels of vulnerability to climate change due to notable low adaptive capacity. The high level of vulnerability to changing climate is exposing the study population to increased prevalence of poverty, crop and livestock failures, food insecurity, malnutrition, disease and rural urban migration among other impacts. The study concludes that the factors creating barriers to climate change adaptation are related to those contributing to poverty and holding back sustainable local development.