| dc.description.abstract | Water related extreme events like drought and floods have become recurrent in Kanyemba.
Low rainfall totals, combined with intra-season dry-spells, are responsible for low yields.
Heavy rain within a short period and reservoirs operation also affect households through loss
of land planted due to floods. In this environment, households which rely on agriculture have
to adjust their activities to cope with such events. This study investigated the perceptions of
households on the pattern of rainfall, droughts and floods over 23 years, the impacts of floods
and droughts on households and how households cope with these events. The research was
conducted in Kanyemba which is in Lower Middle Zambezi Valley’s Manyame catchment in
Zambezi river basin. The area is a rural ward in Mbire district in Zimbabwe’s Natural Region
5, which is semi-arid and receives on average 450-650mm of rainfall per annum. The
research was conducted using both quantitative and qualitative research techniques. A case
study approach was taken. Data collection was done using semi-structured interviews, focus
group discussions and structured questionnaires which were administered to 144 households.
To substantiate this data, an analysis of rainfall variability and Cahora Bassa water level over
23 years was performed. The study found that perceptions of households are that total amount
of rainfall received in the area has gone down, while the frequency of dry-spells and flood
events has increased in the last two decades. Rainfall variability analysis revealed that the
amount of rainfall between 1988 and 2011 has not changed but the frequency of dry-spells
and floods has increased. Floods occurrence was linked to heavy local rain and backflow
from Cahora Bassa dam. The study found that from 1988 to 2011 Kanyemba experienced
flooding six times. About 70% of crop season have been affected by the dry-spells of 20
days. Dry-spells and floods, which occur during the crop-growing period reduced crop
production by about 65%. The study found that households have adopted a number of
strategies to address droughts and flood impacts. Vegetable farming and crop production in
the floodplain, wage earning locally, planting late and livestock disposals were common
coping strategies. Some households also resorted to out-migration on a daily basis to Zambia
or Mozambique. The study concludes that coping mechanisms used by households were not
sufficient to cope with floods and droughts impacts. The study recommends the
implementation of adaptation measures such as the use of drought-resistant crops varieties,
irrigation and off-farm employment opportunities to enable households to deal with floods
and droughts. | en_ZW |
