“…The participants believed that the combined effects of low rainfall and livestock and wildlife populations are behind the drying up of the pans. Gumindoga et al ( 2020 ) attributed the desiccation of water sources to the high rates of evapotranspiration in the area. Fig.…”
Section: Resultsmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…For example, participants in Chikafa explained that, “Winter maize cropping has since been abandoned because moisture is no longer enough to take the crop to maturity.” They added that livestock spent much of the time along the Hunyani River, where there would be water and green reeds, which makes it difficult to grow the winter crops. Although Gumindoga et al ( 2020 ) indicated suitability for flood recession farming in most of the areas closer to rivers, as a way of adapting to moisture shortages in Mbire District, the experiences by the local farmers reveal adaptation constraints emanating from crop damages by elephants.…”
Section: Resultsmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…These pans are a significant source of water for household use and for livestock and wildlife in the area. Mean annual rainfall is below 650 mm, while mean maximum temperature is between 28 and 30 °C (Gumindoga et al 2020 ; Manatsa et al 2020 ). Drought, dry spells, violent storms, seasonal flash, and riverine floods are common climatic hazards and have increased in frequency in the area.…”
This study demonstrates that Indigenous local observations and experiences can enrich knowledge of climate change, particularly in data-deficient regions that are not adequately covered by weather stations. Paradoxically, these places host groups of Indigenous Peoples who have rich knowledge about their local climates from their many years of constant interactions with the environment. The study used group-based semi-structured interviews to collaborate with keystone elderly participants who had profound knowledge and lived experiences about observed changes in their local environment (n = 13). These participants were identified through theoretical sampling from four remote Indigenous villages of Mbire District in Zimbabwe. The purpose of the study was to identify indicators of climate change impacts from communities believed not to have been much influenced by the scientific construct of climate change. Results revealed that the locals have a keen interest to closely observe changes occurring in their environment, including finer accounts of experiences with climatic events, owing to their predominantly climate-sensitive livelihoods. These results corroborate existing evidence about a warmer and drier climate and the reported increase in the frequency and severity of drought as well as floods in the area, and add finer details to the changes in ecological, hydrological and human systems, which are not sufficiently reported in existing climate impact studies. We also flagged new observations in biological systems as pointers for further intensive investigation. Given the complexity associated with understanding impacts of climate change and the urgent need to refine knowledge about the same, we argued for perforation of the boundaries of climate science to accommodate enriching perceptions of Indigenous communities who have been religiously observing changes happening in their local environment, albeit being relegated.
“…The participants believed that the combined effects of low rainfall and livestock and wildlife populations are behind the drying up of the pans. Gumindoga et al ( 2020 ) attributed the desiccation of water sources to the high rates of evapotranspiration in the area. Fig.…”
Section: Resultsmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…For example, participants in Chikafa explained that, “Winter maize cropping has since been abandoned because moisture is no longer enough to take the crop to maturity.” They added that livestock spent much of the time along the Hunyani River, where there would be water and green reeds, which makes it difficult to grow the winter crops. Although Gumindoga et al ( 2020 ) indicated suitability for flood recession farming in most of the areas closer to rivers, as a way of adapting to moisture shortages in Mbire District, the experiences by the local farmers reveal adaptation constraints emanating from crop damages by elephants.…”
Section: Resultsmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…These pans are a significant source of water for household use and for livestock and wildlife in the area. Mean annual rainfall is below 650 mm, while mean maximum temperature is between 28 and 30 °C (Gumindoga et al 2020 ; Manatsa et al 2020 ). Drought, dry spells, violent storms, seasonal flash, and riverine floods are common climatic hazards and have increased in frequency in the area.…”
This study demonstrates that Indigenous local observations and experiences can enrich knowledge of climate change, particularly in data-deficient regions that are not adequately covered by weather stations. Paradoxically, these places host groups of Indigenous Peoples who have rich knowledge about their local climates from their many years of constant interactions with the environment. The study used group-based semi-structured interviews to collaborate with keystone elderly participants who had profound knowledge and lived experiences about observed changes in their local environment (n = 13). These participants were identified through theoretical sampling from four remote Indigenous villages of Mbire District in Zimbabwe. The purpose of the study was to identify indicators of climate change impacts from communities believed not to have been much influenced by the scientific construct of climate change. Results revealed that the locals have a keen interest to closely observe changes occurring in their environment, including finer accounts of experiences with climatic events, owing to their predominantly climate-sensitive livelihoods. These results corroborate existing evidence about a warmer and drier climate and the reported increase in the frequency and severity of drought as well as floods in the area, and add finer details to the changes in ecological, hydrological and human systems, which are not sufficiently reported in existing climate impact studies. We also flagged new observations in biological systems as pointers for further intensive investigation. Given the complexity associated with understanding impacts of climate change and the urgent need to refine knowledge about the same, we argued for perforation of the boundaries of climate science to accommodate enriching perceptions of Indigenous communities who have been religiously observing changes happening in their local environment, albeit being relegated.
“…The purpose of this study was to determine if the local communities would corroborate the noticeable shifts towards a drier and hotter climate from their own subsistence-oriented experiences in this region (Figure 1). Most studies conducted in Zimbabwe have used climate data records to understand changes in temperature, precipitation and seasons [3,24], hydrological records and remote sensing data to understand hydrological changes [1,27,28] and climate models to predict species distribution under different climatic scenarios [29]. However, climate change perceptions and interpretations by communities experiencing environmental changes, and how these observations can be used to complement climate change evidence, have not been given adequate treatment.…”
Existing evidence about climate change in Zimbabwe has tended to focus more on elements and events of the climate system, marginalizing changes in the hydrological and ecological system. To contribute to the improved understanding of climate change, this study captured the observations of climate change in Malipati, a remote agrarian dryland area in the Chiredzi District, Zimbabwe. The aim of the study was to gather detailed insights about perceived environmental changes using the evidence drawn from local and indigenous populations who have close interactions with their natural environment. A household questionnaire-based survey with randomly chosen farmers (n = 116) revealed that participants’ observations of changes in hydrological and ecological system were consistent with available evidence of increasing temperatures and little rainfall recorded in the district. Results also showed high sensitivity of the area to climate change that manifest in various indicators: hydrological changes in rivers, streams, swamps, and ground water; and ecological changes through the behaviour of trees, insects, birds, and wild animals. Sex and age of the participants did not influence the way they perceived most of these changes (p > 0.05). However, education and the period of stay in the area were related to the respondents’ perceived changes in river flows and siltation, and the conditions of swamps (p < 0.05). Our study also revealed deeper insights about the human-biodiversity interactions in the face of climate change in unique areas where communities live alongside wildlife. The evidence drawn from local and indigenous populations can be used to inform local-based solutions to the growing problems of climate change and biodiversity loss. Future studies would need to further examine such areas to understand the mitigation and adaptation practices that would promote the sustainable co-existence of humans and wildlife.
“…Spatio-temporal variation of soil moisture reflects a conjoint variability of precipitation, soil properties, topographic features, vegetation, and surface temperature at the regional scale [4]. Therefore, a better understanding of spatiotemporal variation of soil moisture is of great importance for investigating the driving mechanisms and influencing factors for agricultural drought at the regional scale, which has important implications for agricultural, hydrological, economic, and social planning and development and water resource management [5,6]. In order to determine soil moisture, the most accurate method is a direct application of field measurement techniques.…”
The increasing serious droughts recently might have significant impacts on socioeconomic development in the Red River basin (RRB). This study applied the variable infiltration capacity (VIC) model to investigate spatio-temporal dynamics of soil moisture in the northeast, northwest, and Red River Delta (RRD) regions of the RRB part belongs to territory of Vietnam. The soil moisture dataset simulated for 10 years (2005–2014) was utilized to establish the soil moisture anomaly percentage index (SMAPI) for assessing intensity of agricultural drought. Soil moisture appeared to co-vary with precipitation, air temperature, evapotranspiration, and various features of land cover, topography, and soil type in three regions of the RRB. SMAPI analysis revealed that more areas in the northeast experienced severe droughts compared to those in other regions, especially in the dry season and transitional months. Meanwhile, the northwest mainly suffered from mild drought and a slightly wet condition during the dry season. Different from that, the RRD mainly had moderately to very wet conditions throughout the year. The areas of both agricultural and forested lands associated with severe drought in the dry season were larger than those in the wet season. Generally, VIC-based soil moisture approach offered a feasible solution for improving soil moisture and agricultural drought monitoring capabilities at the regional scale.
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