Conservation Agriculture and Climate Change: Implications for Sustainable Rural Development in Sanyati, Zimbabwe

Abstract

Zimbabwe is one of the most developed countries in Sub-Saharan Africa in that markets and rural industrialization are likely to function relatively well. Thus, Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector has been severely affected by climate change. The worsening agricultural conditions have led to undernourishment of many in rural areas and this has drawn so much attention. Young women have turned into prostitution, in their bid to ensure the survival of their families. Farmers in rural areas depend heavily on rain-fed water and with rainfall variability and extreme weather patterns records, their livelihoods are being threatened. To cope with the adverse impact of climate change on rural development, different coping strategies and mechanisms are being implemented. The government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the private sector have all introduced various programmes and projects at grassroots levels. The information used in this paper was gathered using data from interviews, questionnaires, and focused group discussion. This article explores how conservation agriculture being one of the coping strategies, has helped rural farmers to deal with climate change and how it has sustained rural development in Sanyati District.

Building adaptive capacity: Reducing the climate vulnerability of smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe

“…Zimbabwe is particularly vulnerable due to its heavy dependence on rain‐fed agriculture and climate‐sensitive resources (Chagutah, ; Mashizha, Monga, & Dzvimbo, ). Studies conducted in Zimbabwe shows that negative impacts of climate change on crop yields and food production have been far more common than positive impacts (Dzvimbo, Mashizha, Monga, & Ncube, ; Mugambiwa & Tirivangasi, ).…”

“…Studies conducted in Zimbabwe shows that negative impacts of climate change on crop yields and food production have been far more common than positive impacts (Dzvimbo, Mashizha, Monga, & Ncube, 2017;Mugambiwa & Tirivangasi, 2017).…”

Promoting sustainable development goals: Role of higher education institutions in climate and disaster management in Zimbabwe

“…Mullens ( 2018 ) and Dzvimbo et al ( 2017 ) observed that several hazards derail available climate and weather information from penetrating rural communities, including scientific jargon, inadequate dissemination channels and poorly formalised institutional frameworks at the national level. These barriers or hazards have created gaps between scientists, researchers, policymakers and communities, yet all these stakeholders should cooperate to ensure that climate change and its impacts are understood and mitigated.…”

Examining the zone of proximal development in learning and development for climate mitigation

“…With an estimated 67% of the population dependent on farming as the major source of income, employment and livelihood (World Bank Group, 2019), changed rainfall patterns have been blamed for exacerbating already threatened livelihoods as crops fail, leading to food insecurity (Abid et al, 2016 . As agriculture sustains the national economy in Zimbabwe (Makate et al, 2019;Nyagumbo et al, 2019), reduced farming productivity becomes a central developmental concern. Rural communities are especially predisposed to climate vulnerability due to systemic flaws in rural development policies which have seen rural communities in Zimbabwe typically characterized by extreme poverty and underdevelopment (Dzvimbo et al, 2017;Kurebwa, 2015;Mutami, 2015). Of particular concern is the limited economic power of smallholder farmers in these rural communities, making other methods of mitigation such as the installation and maintenance of irrigation technologies beyond reach.…”