CLIMATE CHANGE AND VARIABILITY: SMALLHOLDER FARMING COMMUNITIES IN ZIMBABWE PORTRAY A VARIED UNDERSTANDING

Abstract

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 \u2018wind movements\u2019 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\u2019 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.L\u2019am\ue9lioration des connaissances des petits fermiers sur les risques lies au changement du climat et sa variabilit\ue9 est un fait important pour l\u2019\ue9dification de leur capacit\ue9 de d\ue9velopper des mesures n\ue9cessaires d\u2019adaptation. En utilisant des m\ue9thodes de recherche participative et un questionnaire d\u2019enqu\ueate formelle, l\u2019interaction a \ue9t\ue9 faite avec plus de 800 fermiers de deux syst\ue8mes d\u2019exploitation distincts de districts de Makoni et Wedza \ue0 l\u2019Est du Zimbabwe, afin de d\ue9terminer le niveau actuel de compr\ue9hension du changement du climat et sa variabilit\ue9, les m\ue9canismes d\u2019adaptation aux changements per\ue7us, ainsi qu\u2019identifier les sources d\u2019information agro m\ue9t\ue9orologique. Les r\ue9sultats ont indiqu\ue9 que les fermiers avaient un niveau vari\ue9 de compr\ue9hension dans les deux sites d\u2019\ue9tude.Alors qu\u2019une faible distribution des pr\ue9cipitations \ue9tait consid\ue9r\ue9e comme \ue9tant l\u2019indicateur majeur du changement du climat par plus de 2/3 des r\ue9pondants dans les deux sites, la plupart des fermiers de Makoni ont affirm\ue9 que le retard dans l\u2019apparition des pluies, incidence \ue9lev\ue9e des inondations et mouvement du vent impr\ue9dictible r\ue9sultant du cyclone par le changement du climat. En Wedza, le changement du climat \ue9tait manifest\ue9 \ue0 travers les s\ue9cheresses r\ue9currentes, des temp\ue9ratures extr\ueames pendant l\u2019hiver et l\u2019\ue9t\ue9 ainsi que l\u2019accroissement d\u2019incidences de pestes et maladies affectant des cultures et le b\ue9tail. Les changements per\ue7us \ue9taient plus li\ue9s aux forces naturelles et humaines (Makoni), des forces inconnues aussi bien que la non-observance des normes culturales et les croyances et le d\ue9veloppement de la chr\ue9tient\ue9 (Wedza). Les disparit\ue9s entre les deux sites pourraient \ueatre attribu\ue9es aux diff\ue9rences inh\ue9rentes des deux communaut\ue9s en termes de leurs environnements sociaux. La vulgarisation nationale, Agritex, \ue9tait rang\ue9e la premi\ue8re par 50-60% des fermiers comme source majeur de l\u2019information sur le climat suivi du media \ue9lectronique (radio et t\ue9l\ue9vision) avec 47% des fermiers dans Makoni et 35% dans Wedza. Les probl\ue8mes \ue9voqu\ue9s \ue9taient li\ue9s au manque de consistance de l\u2019information, manque apparent de fiabilit\ue9, le temps et la fr\ue9quence de diss\ue9mination qui directement influencent l\u2019utilisation de l\u2019information. Les strat\ue9gies communes d\u2019adaptation consistaient en la plantation \ue0 temps sp\ue9cialement dans Makoni, pendant que les combinaisons des c\ue9r\ue9ales et des l\ue9gumes \ue9taient une solution pr\ue9f\ue9r\ue9e en Wedza. En conclusion, l\u2019interaction des fermiers avec des sources vari\ue9es d\u2019information et les plateformes de partage de connaissance ont besoin d\u2019\ueatre d\ue9velopp\ue9e afin d\u2019am\ue9liorer leur niveau de compr\ue9hension aussi bien renforcer leur capacit\ue9 \ue0 r\ue9pondre aux pressions du changement du climat et sa variabilit\ue9