Impacts of climate change on household food security in Matande communal lands, Mwenezi district in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Mwenezi district is a drought prone area characterised by high temperatures, droughts, rainfall deficit, crop failures and chronic food deficiencies. Rainfed agriculture can no longer be sustained without any innovations. The study explored the impacts of climate change on household food security among the vulnerable populations of Matande communal lands, Mwenezi district in Zimbabwe. The study is guided by the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework (SLF). An exploratory sequential research design was adopted, and a total of 78 respondents were selected from the population of 371 households using purposive and cluster sampling techniques. Data collection was triangulated through the use of household survey, focus group discussions, key informant interviews and observations. The thematic approach and SPSS software were used to analyse qualitative and quantitative data, respectively. Results demonstrated that climate change propelled increases of pests and diseases for both livestock and crops, reduction of meals uptake per day, biodiversity loss and dwindled crop production. Livestock increases were recorded despite the changing climate shows a nexus with food insecurity. The research called for the adoption of drought-tolerant crops, capacity building through climate change resilience programmes, livestock centric in diversification, improved formal markets for livestock and tapping of underground water for irrigation and other purposes to complement existing water bodies to prevent them drying up early.

Contribution

There is deepening aridification in Mwenezi district because of climate change resulting in the continuous obliteration for the worst of agro-ecological regions iv and v reclassified into a and b. This confirmed the heterogeneity of various climatic conditions and variability within the same geographical context. However, vulnerability continues to be generalised into regions. The study investigates the impacts of climate change typical to Matande communal lands with the view to generate knowledge relevant to review adaptation practices specific to the researched area in order to escalate community resilience.