Thulani Dube

Introduction: The success of anticipatory action (AA) in climate change related disaster risk reduction depends largely on the ability to accurately predict adverse weather events and to subsequently take appropriate and timely action. The current seasonal climate forecasts obtained through national and global forecasting centers such as the Zimbabwe Meteorological Services Department (MSD) and the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) have been found to have several limitations including limited skill in intra-seasonal variability which is vital in most processes, lack of accessibility, difficult interpretability and applicability to local communities. As a result, calls for the integration of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS)-based climate services in seasonal climate forecasting to bolster the efficacy and accuracy of forecasts are increasing.Methodology: The study employed a mixed methods approach combining a survey of 200 household heads, document reviews and key informant interviews with IKS specialists, AA community of practice members and disaster risk reduction specialists.Results: This article presents the findings of a study carried out in four semi-arid districts of Zimbabwe (Mbire, Matobo, Binga, and Mudzi) to assess the feasibility of integrating IKS into the drought AA mechanism at national, district, and ward level. We find that 82% of the surveyed households used indigenous knowledge systems for seasonal climate forecasting and extreme weather forecasting combined with scientific forecasts. Respondents demonstrated preference for triangulated forecasting to increase reliability. Both the meteorological approaches to seasonal climate forecasting and the IKS based forecasting had different strengths and weaknesses.Discussion: Based on the found gaps in current seasonal forecasting techniques, local applicability, and limited quantitative analysis in IKS, this study provides a guideline on how scientific and IKS forecasting can be triangulated for leveraging forecasting information in Zimbabwe. The use of IKS may be of utmost relevance to agencies and entities seeking the achievement of drought risk reduction through AA programmes.

The San community in Zimbabwe is one of the indigenous tribes that have had a rather belated encounter with modernisation and globalisation. Their transition from a hunting and gathering economy to an agro-capitalist economy is widely considered as failed. Using the sustainable rural livelihoods framework, the study ethnographically investigates the performance of San livelihood portfolios. The main objective of the study was to interrogate the factors that prevent San communities from climbing up the social ladder to gain equal access to resources when compared with their Bantu neighbours. The study found out that some of the key drivers of the failed San communities’ transition include their location close to wild animals, systematic structural oppression by the Ndebele and Kalanga ethnic groups, and the natural environmental challenges such as climate change. We recommend that programming for San communities should take into cognisance these structural and contextual issues.

Urban household food insecurity is highly prevalent in Zimbabwe due to the persisting poor macro-economic environment, droughts, HIV and AIDS and climate change. This paper examines the effectiveness of cash transfers in alleviating urban household food insecurity in the city of Bulawayo. The assessment focuses on understanding the extent to which cash transfers improve poor households’ access to food. The study was conducted in Makokoba and Njube townships. A combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods were used in gathering and analysing data. Purposive sampling techniques were used to select study participants. Semi-structured in-depth interviews (50), questionnaires (280), and key-informant interviews (11) were used to collect primary data. The study is anchored on Sen’s Entitlement Approach in examining the role of cash transfers in strengthening trade-based entitlements of ultra-poor households. We find that cash transfers have nominally alleviated urban household food insecurity in these townships. Households receiving cash transfers have not meaningfully improved access to food on a regular basis. They ate small quantities of food, skipped meals and had poor dietary diversity regardless of receiving cash transfers. Factors such as low transfer value, irregular distributions, weak targeting mechanisms, disbursement mechanism and poor communication have deterred the effectiveness of cash transfers in the two townships. We recommend a revamp in design and implementation processes of cash transfer programmes. Transfers meant for improving access to food should be implemented in conjunction with livelihood projects to enable poor urbanites to meet non-food basic needs.

This study assessed the COVID-19 related disruptions on the food environment in Zimbabwe. Information on disruptions in personal life, changes in food habits, changes at food acquisition points and nutrition information required during the lockdown were collected from 243 adult respondents using online survey. The pandemic disrupted work, social events, food behaviors and habits. Food consumption behaviours changed during the COVID-19 lockdown included panic buying (68%) and stockpiling (60%). The changes in food related habits were associated with a reduction in eating out at restaurants (89%) and ordering fast foods (71%). Temperature checks, physical distancing, hand sanitization and restricted access to food stores when not wearing a mask were the changes made at the point of food acquisition and adhered to by respondents. Respondents required nutrition advice on what type of food to eat (58%), food availability in area (52%), and ways to reduce food wastages (49%). Important policy implications emanate from this study. Retailers should ensure adequate supplies of affordable food commodities. The public and private sector should provide information on nutritious foods, ways to reduce food wastages, and food safety during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. There is scope of using social media as one of the platforms to disseminate such information. Innovative interventions such as online purchasing and home delivery of food supplies should be piloted to reduce human physical contact. This requires improved broadband connectivity and collaboration between mobile network companies and food suppliers to pilot online purchases.

Peri-urban agriculture plays a critical role in sustaining food security and livelihoods in urban communities. In spite of the critical role it plays in food security, peri-urban agriculture has not received adequate attention with regards to its interface with climate change in Zimbabwe. Using a sample of thirty peri-urban plots selected through snowballing, this study investigated the farmers’ perceived effects of climate change on peri-urban agriculture in Bulawayo, and how farmers were adapting to climate change. The findings of the study revealed that peri-urban farmers perceived and observed significant climatic and related changes that were negatively impacting their farming activities. Observed changes included reduced precipitation levels, increased atmospheric temperature and diminishing borehole yields. Farmers were adapting with a variety of methods which included repeated planting, watering plants during the night, renting animal space in other farms with more water sources and purchasing supplementary feed for livestock. Among other issues, this study recommends the promotion of the use of drought tolerant seed varieties, improved water harvesting and a more rationalised system in managing livestock numbers in the plots.