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Prolonged Dry Spells Leave Families facing Starvation

Government distributed farming inputs fail in the Matabeleland region due to climate change resulting in loss of food security. Image by Xinhua


Climate change experts say rising temperatures and increasing rainfall variability, particularly drought, are expected to exacerbate declining agricultural outputs and food insecurity in areas such as the drought prone Matabeleland North region.

BY CALVIN MANIKA | @The_CBNews | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | FEB 14, 2023


HWANGE (The Citizen Bulletin) — Villagers in Mabale, Matabeleland North, wait patiently for the delivery of agricultural inputs at their shopping centre.

“We cannot afford to purchase maize seed,” says Marshall Mudimba, a peasant.

Like many other villagers in the region, they have been benefiting from the government’s free agricultural inputs scheme.

Last year, their crops suffered from poor rains.


“That is the difficulty we face. The majority of Matabeleland's areas, which are in region 4 and 5, did not receive good rains.”
Mandlenkosi Dube, a Makwandara villager in Dete


Zimbabwe is split into five “natural” agro-ecological areas based on the amount and pattern of rainfall, the quality of the soil, and vegetation.

Region 4 and 5 contain the majority of the areas in Matabeleland.

Region 4 is situated in the low-lying regions of the country's north and south, according to the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development.

The region is known for its heavy dry spells.

“Because of the poor rains, we are always food insecure,” Dube adds.

According to humanitarian aid agencies, thousands of families in rural Matabeleland are experiencing drought induced hunger following last year’s poor rains.

International aid agencies have since started food distribution programmes.

“That is the only solution to the hunger problem otherwise people will die of hunger,” says Clayton Ncube, a village head in Musuna Hills.

An elderly Lupane villager, Busani Moyo, says weather patterns have been changing over the past few years.

He says in the past, they used to produce enough to feed their families despite poor rains.

“But not anymore,” Moyo says.


“Our daily experience of high temperatures proves that climate change is real. Our water wells are drying up, and other unfavorable weather patterns indicate a global warming catastrophe. We are already victims.”
Busani Moyo, a Lupane villager


Due to their reliance on rain-fed agriculture, Zimbabwe's economy and the way of life of the poor in rural areas are extremely sensitive to climate change.

Recent droughts have resulted in crop failure and animal losses, severely damaging the agricultural industry.

As a result, the national herd today stands at 4,9 million, a number well below the pre-drought level.

The dominance of the agricultural sector and its susceptibility to water stress, according to the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), is reflected in the close relationship between rainfall variability and economic growth.

According to IIED, rising temperatures and increasing rainfall variability, particularly drought, are expected to exacerbate declining agricultural outputs and food insecurity.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stated during last year's climate change discussions at COP 27 in Egypt that climate change is anticipated to cause the extension of marginal lands.

“Traditional agricultural practices will become increasingly unsustainable if changing climatic conditions continue to expand these territories. It is anticipated that fragile livelihood systems, even those with a livestock component, will deteriorate. Smallholder farmers in semi-arid rural areas have traditionally used mixed crop-livestock systems as a means of subsistence,” says IPCC.

International aid agencies have since started food distribution programmes. Image by VOA


With future rainfall likely to be reduced or punctuated by concentrated heavy storms separated by lengthy dry spells, pasture and crop production without proper management measures run the risk of frequently failing.

According to Amarakoon Bandara, Senior Economic Advisor at UNDP Zimbabwe, there is conclusive scientific evidence of global warming.
 
“Climate change is real to us,” Bandara says.


“Zimbabwe is a prime example. Zimbabwe's climate is warming, much like the rest of the world. Compared to earlier times, we have more hot days and fewer cold ones. By 2030, our average temperature will have increased by 0.5 to 2 °C. The effects on livelihoods, wellbeing, and human development are profound.”
Amarakoon Bandara, UNDP Zimbabwe Senior Economic Advisor


Zimbabwe is already classified as having “severe” hunger, according to the Global Hunger Index (GHI).

In general, hunger is modest, although it can increase quickly during certain seasons.

According to the index, one million people in Zimbabwe are at risk from harmful climatic change shocks.

The Zimbabwe Human Development Report: Towards building a climate resilient nation published in 2018 by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) offers some insights towards mitigating climate change shocks.

“Invest in climate-smart farming techniques, such as creating drought-tolerant, high-yielding crop types,” the report notes.


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The report also offers recommendations for crop diversification, including the promotion of tiny grains that can withstand drought as well as effective water management and usage.

In Hwange district, agricultural extension specialists are now assisting communal farmers with climate change adaptation strategies.

“In our situation, agricultural extension workers have been quite beneficial in enlightening us about the seed varieties and crop monitoring. It has worked notably during seasons where rains are abundant, which is not expected with all seasons,” says Charles Nyoni, a village head in Mashala, Hwange.


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