Climate Variability and Asset Adaptation of Small-scale Farmers in Zimbabwe's Gokwe South District:A Search for Knowledge Integration Approach
Date
2023-05
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Abstract
Globally, climate change and variability threaten food production and security for an unforeseeable future leaving millions of people vulnerable to hunger and malnutrition related diseases. Climatic models are projecting that Zimbabwe’s climate will be hanging drastically with a high possibility of experiencing extreme weather patterns impacting the livelihoods of small-scale farmers who rely on rain-fed agriculture for their livelihoods. This study aims to investigate the role of asset portfolios in reducing the climate vulnerability of small-scale farmers of Gokwe South in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe’s agricultural production both crop and livestock production has been negatively impacted due to the dwindling rainfall and increase in temperature and climate related risks and disasters. The quality and quantity of asset portfolios determine the adaptive strategies and their success against the challenges of climate variability. Despite these effects, small-scale farmers in the Gokwe South district are using their asset portfolios to increase their adaptive capacity and resilience to fight against the challenges of climate variability. Therefore, this thesis revealed a paradigm shift from asset vulnerability to pro-poor asset adaptation. The paradigm shift crafted the ‘Theory of Change’ which is useful for climate variability adaptation strategies in the Gokwe South district as the small-scale farmers change from asset vulnerability to asset adaptation. The Theory of Change encourages contextual analysis of the area and theme under study. A Theory of Change is a method that explains how a given intervention, or set of interventions, is expected to lead to specific development change, drawing on a causal analysis based on available evidence. This study used the Participatory Climate Change Adaptation Appraisal (PCCAA) as the primary data collection tool and the Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) known as the emancipatory methodology, to collect data in rural areas. A mixed methodological approach involving qualitative and quantitative was applied. We used thematic content analysis to analyse qualitative data collected during the data collection exercise. During the study period, computer-Aided Qualitative Data Software was used to store data in a sorted manner. The parametric variables were coded using the Predictive Analytic Software. This enabled to performance of statistical analysis and obtaining descriptive statistical outcomes were obtained. The assessment of the effect of the factors on climate adaptation strategies was done through the Likert scale. Indigenous knowledge remained widely used as a source of climate knowledge in the Gokwe South district. The research results showed that indigenous knowledge (IK) is unpredictable, productive assets and adaptive assets are inadequate, technoscience and institutional support are poor support to implement viable adaptation strategies is lacking, and poor distribution and dissemination of climate and weather information to small-scale farmers in the Gokwe South district is poor and asset portfolios and asset mix is poor. The available asset portfolios determine the adaptation strategies used in the Gokwe South district. Results show that climate vulnerability varies spatially and temporally across the Gokwe South district. The studied five constituencies for the Gokwe district have a mean vulnerability index of 3.04 with the highest index being 5 as being well adapted. Sengwa and Mapfungabutsi are highly vulnerable to the vagaries of climate variability in the Gokwe South district. The researchers recommend strong institutional support from the government. The fact that small-scale farmers should integrate their IK and modern science climate knowledge small-scale farmers in the Gokwe South district should adopt proactive or anticipatory adaptation, government climate-smart agricultural policies, and a bottom-up approach to climate variability. The quality and quantity of asset portfolios are key resources affecting the level of vulnerability to climate variability. The asset mix was seen to be significant in reducing the vulnerability of small-scale farmers in Sengwa and Mapfungabutsi, constituencies worst affected due to poor asset endowment of farmers in the Gokwe South district. The results have shown that the financial asset is the most important asset affecting vulnerability because it can be converted into other assets through buying. Weak institutional intervention renders many small-scale farmers helpless to climate variability, and the government is not fully supporting small-scale farmers to increase their adaptive capacity and resilience.
Description
A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Geography, to the Faculty of Science, School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Sciences (GAES), at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023.
Keywords
Asset adaptation, Asset portfolio, Climate variability, Knowledge integration, Indigenous and scientific knowledge, Small-scale farmers, Vulnerability, UCTD
Citation
Chatsiwa, Jaison. (2023). Climate Variability and Asset Adaptation of Small-scale Farmers in Zimbabwe's Gokwe South District:A Search for Knowledge Integration Approach. [PhD thesis, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg]. https://hdl.handle.net/10539/42299