Toward sustainable community garden-driven resilience in semiarid areas of Zimbabwe’s Shurugwi district

Abstract

Climate change has become a phenomenon with effects being felt worldwide, and Zimbabwe’s rural communities have not been spared either. With the intervention of donor funds, governments are now targeting resilient climate adaptation. Community gardens have been the last line of defense to struggling farmers. This research examines community gardens as a response to climate change-related challenges. Data was collected using questionnaires, interviews and direct-field observations. Results show that community gardens in Chitora improved the lives of many households in the rural communities with accrued benefits including wetland revitalization, increased food security, improved livestock and crop husbandry, improved markets, and value addition initiatives. Rural communities benefitted through knowledge transfer, resilience building, sustainable assets building, and the adoption of climate change mitigation and adaptation programs. There is, however, need to increase market share for the smallholder farmers, crop and livestock diversion to be able to adapt and withstand climate change-induced hazards.