Record Details

Contextual vulnerability of rainfed crop-based farming communities in semi-arid Zimbabwe: A case of Chiredzi District

OAR@ICRISAT

View Archive Info
 
 
Field Value
 
Relation http://oar.icrisat.org/10331/
http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IJCCSM-03-2017-0070
10.1108/IJCCSM-03-2017-0070
 
Title Contextual vulnerability of rainfed crop-based farming communities in semi-arid Zimbabwe: A case of Chiredzi District
 
Creator Jiri, O
Mafongoya, P L
Chivenge, P
 
Subject Smallholder Farmers
Semi-arid tropics
Smallholder Agriculture
Climate Change
 
Description Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to assess smallholder farmers’ vulnerability to climate change and variability based on the socioeconomic and biophysical characteristics of Chiredzi District, a region that is susceptible to the adverse effects of climate change and variability.

Design/methodology/approach
Vulnerability was assessed using the Vulnerability to Resilience and the Climate Vulnerability and Capacity frameworks.

Findings
The major indicators and drivers of vulnerability were identified as droughts, flash floods, poor soil fertility and out-migration leaving female- and child-headed households. From sensitivity analysis, it was shown that different areas within the district considered different biophysical and socioeconomic indicators to climate change and variability. They also considered different vulnerability indicators to influence the decisions for adaptation to climate change and variability.

Originality/value
The results of this study indicate that the area and cropping systems are greatly exposed and are sensitive to climatic change stimuli, as shown by the decline in main cereal grain yield. These results also showed that there is a need to define and map local area vulnerability as a basis to recommend coping and adaptation measures to counter climate change hazards.
 
Publisher Emerald Publishing
 
Date 2017
 
Type Article
PeerReviewed
 
Format application/pdf
 
Language en
 
Rights —
 
Identifier http://oar.icrisat.org/10331/1/Contextual_vulnerability_.pdf
Jiri, O and Mafongoya, P L and Chivenge, P (2017) Contextual vulnerability of rainfed crop-based farming communities in semi-arid Zimbabwe: A case of Chiredzi District. International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, 9 (6). pp. 777-789. ISSN 1756-8692