Rural livelihoods vulnerability and adaptation strategies in the face of climate change. A case of Mutoko Distict Chiwore ward 16A, Mashonaland East.

Abstract

Rural households have been grappling with various challenges due to developmental strategies which are skewed towards urban areas in most developing countries. Climate change has emerged as one of the major challenges with regards to rural livelihoods strategies which are heavily reliant on the natural environment. A number of studies have been carried out on climate change variability and its effects on rural livelihood strategies. In these studies rural households have been portrayed as people with limited capacity, who can only adapt to climate change variability by relying on some form of external interventions such as the government and the NGOs. The study found out that rural livelihoods in particular Traditional Agricultural Livelihoods strategies are more vulnerable to climate change. However, livelihood diversification has been adopted by the rural households, with households utilizing the various forms of capital and the agencies to adapt to climate change. Partnerships have been formed, initiatives in irrigation equipment have been noted which are not only effective and efficient but are also affordable. A shift from large livestock production to small livestock production was also noted due to the relative advantage that small livestock have as compared to large livestock. The study also concluded that adaptation strategies which are being employed by the rural households are not only for a short term basis but are also not sustainable. There is need for a collective effort from the various stakeholders to come up with sustainable adaptation strategies and effective ways of combating climate change.