Mitigating the effects of drought on cattle production in communal rangelands of Zimbabwe

Matope, Alphonce; Zindove, Titus Jairus; Dhliwayo, M.; Chimonyo, M.

doi:10.1007/s11250-019-02020-y

Cited by 12 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Mujere and Dombo ( 2011 ) highlight that cattle production is a significant enterprise in the Chingwizi area. Apart from their consumption, cattle are an essential facet of Zimbabwe’s rural economy–used for transportation of inputs and produce, firewood and water; capital growth and storage, through herd growth; tillage; and cultural ceremonies such as paying bride prices (Matope et al, 2020 ). Despite the importance of livestock production in Chingwizi, there is no record of training the community on animal husbandry to reconnect the IDPs to their farming activities; many cattle acquired diseases (UNOCHA, 2014 ), and, as noted above, there was no compensation for those who lost livestock during the flood or transportation.…”

Section: State Power and The Resettlement Processesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forced displacement: critical lessons in the protracted aftermath of a flood disaster

Mucherera

Spiegel

2021

GeoJournal

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Forced displacement and resettlement is a pervasive challenge being contemplated across the social sciences. Scholarly literature, however, often fails to engage complexities of power in understanding socio-environmental interactions in resettlement processes. Addressing Zimbabwe’s Tokwe-Mukosi flood disaster resettlement, we explore hegemonic uses of state power during the pre- and post-flood induced resettlement processes. We examine how state power exercised through local government, financial, and security institutions impacts community vulnerabilities during forced resettlement processes, while furthering capitalist agendas, drawing insights from analysing narratives between 2010 and 2021. Concerns abound that multiple ministries, the police, and the army undermined displaced people’s resilience, including through inadequate compensation, with state institutions neglecting displaced communities during encampment by inadequately meeting physical security, health, educational, and livestock production needs. We explore how forcibly resettling encamped households to a disputed location is not only an ongoing perceived injustice regionally but also a continuing reference point in resettlement discussions countrywide, reflecting concerns that land use and economic reconfigurations in resettlement can undermine subsistence livelihoods while privileging certain values and interests over others. Policy lessons highlight the need for reviewing disaster management legislation, developing compensation guidelines and reviewing encampment practices. Analytically, lessons point to how state power may be studied in relation to perspectives on the destruction of flood survivors’ connections to place, people and livelihoods, underscoring the critical need for theorising the relationships between power dynamics and diverse experiences around displacement.

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Section: State Power and The Resettlement Processesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forced displacement: critical lessons in the protracted aftermath of a flood disaster

Mucherera

Spiegel

2021

GeoJournal

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“…The cattle herds were grouped as large and small herds by calculating the median number of cattle from the enrolled households. Those herds with less or equal number of cattle to that of median were categorized as small herds while those with number of cattle above the median were categorized as large herds (18). The ages were .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Kaloleni sub-county, most of cattle keepers practice mixed cattle production where keeping of dual-purpose zebu cattle for meat, milk and cattle sales. Such cattle breeds are preferred by local farmers because they are believed to be more tolerant to drought outcomes despite low production and growth rates (18). Most cattle keepers were practicing free-range communal grazing methods on community and public owned lands and along the road reserves.…”

Section: Body Condition Of Cattle Predicts How Well It Can Survive Through a Nutritional Scarcitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Whereas livestock kept in these regions respond differently to effects of drought; cattle are the most drought sensitive livestock species based on their size, grazing behavior and nutritional requirements (8, 14,16,17). Cattle are grazers making them more vulnerable to drought since pasture is a seasonal biophysical resource that is fast affected by prolonged dry weather (18). Occurrence of drought leads to increase in trekking distance, livestock migration from drier regions to places with water and pasture.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Role of livestock parameters on cattle vulnerability to drought in the coastal semi-arid areas, Kenya

Jack

Mathew

Owiny

et al. 2020

Preprint

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21Livestock keeping forms main occupation in arid and semi-arid lands. Increase in 22 drought frequency and intensity globally negatively affect livestock production and 23 livelihood. Cattle are the most drought sensitive livestock due to size, grazing behavior and 24 nutritional requirements. Factors for vulnerability of cattle to droughts are individual cattle 25 parameters, health and husbandry practices. This cross sectional study aimed to those factors 26 in semi-arid Kaloleni sub-county. Data on household (HH) head demographics, cattle and 27 production collected from 194 enrolled HH using structured questionnaires. Cattle ages were 28 grouped into young (<1 year old), growers (1-2 years old) and adults (>2years old). Data was 29 analyzed using STATA 12 software. Univariate, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression 30 analysis conducted and reported in Crude Odds Ratio (cOR), Adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR) and 31 Confidence Interval (CI). We used Pearson product-moment correlation to determine 32 relationship between HH head, cattle herd, individual cattle characteristics and drought 33 characteristics, p = <0.05 being significant. Mean age HH heads was 40.7 ± 12.6 years, 44.3% 34 (86) had basic education, males were 65.3% (n=126). Mixed livestock production was 35 practiced by 69.1% (134), while 86.1% (167) practiced free range communal grazing. Adult 36 cattle were 54.1% (1295). Female cattle were 72.7% (1741). Average body condition score 37 was 3.0 ± 0.6, and calves had 2.6 ± 1.3. About 20.6% had various forms of illness, calves 38 mostly affected at 29.1%. Up to 63.4% HH, spray cattle at home, 93.3% HH reported no 39 vaccination history. Home straying was protective (cOR 0.3, 95% CI 0.14 -0.53). Herd size 40 (aOR 2.9, 95% CI 1.5 -5.5) and having no disease control method (aOR 2.8, 95% CI 1.85 -41 9.19) were contributing to reporting disease. We report positive correlation between drought 42 outcomes and HH head (r=0.076, p>0.01), cattle herd (r=0.216, p=0.003 and individual cattle 43 characteristics(r=0.139, p>0.01). The findings on cattle conditions exacerbate their 44 vulnerability in presence of stressful conditions like droughts especially in calves and cows. 45This study demonstrates weak disease control efforts and unorganized husbandry practices. 46 We propose strategic and focused disease control plans to improve cattle resilience and 47 further research on livestock based factors as drought response metrics for the livestock 48 livelihood. 49 Introduction 54Communities living in arid and semi-arid areas globally often face the vagaries of 55 weather, primarily because of rise in ambient temperatures and change in rainfall patterns (4). 56As a result of global warming, drought has been in the last three decades reported to be 57 increasing in frequency, duration and severity (5). The increase in frequency of drought in the 58 arid and semi-arid lands has caused livelihood changes among agrarian communities forcing 59 them to shift towards livestock keeping combined with crop insurance init...

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“…Rains have been erratic and more unpredictable and the main rainy season has been characterised by trends of irregularities. Cattle production under communal rangelands in Zimbabwe is constrained by a myriad of challenges including feed and water shortages, parasites, and diseases [41]. Several studies on climate change impacts reveal that most smallholder farmers have been experiencing colossal loses of livestock owing to climate change.…”

Section: Destocking Of Livestock Through Lending To Relatives (Kuronzera)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Harnessing of Social Capital as a Determinant for Climate Change Adaptation in Mazungunye Communal Lands in Bikita, Zimbabwe

Nyahunda

Tirivangasi

2021

Scientifica

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The livelihoods of rural people have been plagued by the precarious impacts of climate change–related disasters manifesting through floods, heat waves, droughts, cyclones, and erratic temperatures. However, they have not remained passive victims to these impacts. In light of this, rural people are on record of employing a plethora of adaptation strategies to cushion their livelihoods from climate change impacts. In this vew, the role of social capital as a determinant of climate change adaptation is underexplored. Little attention has been paid to how social capital fostered through trust and cooperation amongst rural households and communities is essential for climate change adaptation. This study explored how people in Mazungunye communal lands are embracing social capital to adapt to climate change impacts. The researchers adopted a qualitative research approach guided by the descriptive research design. The population of the study was gathered through simple random and purposive sampling techniques. Accordingly, the population sample consisted of 25 research participants drawn from members of the community following the simple random and purposive sampling techniques. In-depth individual interviews and focus group discussions were used to collect data. Data were analysed through the Thematic Content Analysis. This study established that different forms of social capital are being embraced by the community members to withstand the effects of climate change. These include village savings clubs (fushai), chief’s granary (Zunde raMambo), collective field work (nhimbe), and destocking of livestock (kuronzera) strategies. These strategies illustrate community reliance on indigenous knowledge adaptation strategies as a community response to impacts of climate change on their livelihoods.

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Mitigating the effects of drought on cattle production in communal rangelands of Zimbabwe

Cited by 12 publications

References 27 publications

Forced displacement: critical lessons in the protracted aftermath of a flood disaster

Forced displacement: critical lessons in the protracted aftermath of a flood disaster

Role of livestock parameters on cattle vulnerability to drought in the coastal semi-arid areas, Kenya

Harnessing of Social Capital as a Determinant for Climate Change Adaptation in Mazungunye Communal Lands in Bikita, Zimbabwe

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