Coping with Drought and Climate Change Project-

Chiredzi Zimbabwe

Aaron Chigona (Msc) (achigona@ema.co.zw)

Outline of presentation

• Brief Project Overview• Achievements• Enablers• Challenges• Lessons Learnt• Exit Strategy• Recommendations

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Chiredzi SituationFrequent Droughts & declining crop yields

Declining pastures & livestock productivity

Increasing water scarcity, with women & children being the worst affected

Occasional flooding affects communication infrastructure

Poverty

Typical effects of drought on a household

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Project Goal

• To enhance the capacity of agricultural based livelihood systems in Zimbabwe to adapt to climate variability and change.

Project Purpose

• To demonstrate and promote adoption of a range of gender segregated approaches for adaptation to climate change among rural communities currently engaged in agriculture in vulnerable areas of Chiredzi District as a national model.

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Specific objectives To expand the knowledge base on climate change for effective

adaptation in the agriculture sector.

To demonstrate a range of viable longterm adaptation options to manage climate variability and change among men and women agropastoralists in Chiredzi district based on identified climate risks

To develop local capacity to use climate early warning systems to strengthen adaptation/livelihood strategies in Chiredzi district

To disseminate project generated lessons and foster public awareness about potential impacts of climate change to encourage policy changes that encourage adaptation

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Project theory of change

$ 983,000 GEF – govt.

in kind contributions

+ technical advice

+ stakeholder commitment

INPUTS ACTIVITIES/OUTPUTS

Technical studies on climate change risks/vulnerabilities

Pilot demos of agronomic & livestock adaptation measures

Tailored local weather forecasting system

Awareness & promotion of adaptation measures

OUTCOMES IMPACTS

Increased national capacity to manage

CC risks

Increased food security & income

from pilot measures

More reliable extension advice to

farmers

Increased awareness and replication of

adaptation measures

Rural communities

are more resilient to

climate change

Institutions are more

responsive to CC risks

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Pilot Sites

Capture fisheries

Natural Resources Management

Crops and livestock

Local climate monitoring

Small scale irrigation

Crocodiles

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Project Achievements

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Project Objective

• An independent terminal evaluation of the project confirms that, “The project has developed and piloted a limited range of coping mechanisms and adaptation measures that effectively reduce vulnerability to drought at the project sites”.

• An Adaptation model for Chiredzi District has therefore been developed, with room for further refinement.

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Pillars of the Chiredzi Adaptation Model

Text Box 1: Pillars of the Chiredzi Adaptation Model

1.Product diversification: multi-cropping to reduce dependence on one or two crop and make better use of the ecological range

2.Employ drought tolerant crop varieties

3.Integrate soil moisture conservation in rain-fed crop production systems

4.Invest in small scale irrigation systems (typically < 5 ha)

5.Conserve local feed sources and create protein rich feed formulations for livestock

6.Plant fodder to enhance pastures

7.Improve climate early warning systems10

Outcome 1: National capacity• Climate risks and vulnerabilities for the Save Basin, including

Chiredzi District have been assessed.

• Technocrats from Government have been trained in interpretation and use of climate change data.

• Climate Change awareness among government officials and farmers in Chiredzi District has increased.

• A lot more needs to be done for government and local authorities to drive adaptation.

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Outcome 2: Livelihoods

• A range of coping and adaptation measures developed and implemented by the project have demonstrably increased household food security and income levels, and thus resilience to impacts of future climate change.

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• Most of the agricultural adaptation measures such as crop diversification, drought tolerant varieties, soil moisture conservation, small scale irrigation, use of climate information, feed conservation and protein enhancement for livestock, and capture fisheries are being increasingly adopted by farmers.

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Outcome 2 cont….

• Non-agricultural adaptation measures such as: captive crocodile breeding and nature conservation for trophy hunting and ecotourism have promise but require more business training.

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Project impact

Yr Rainfallmm

Maizet/ha

Sorghumt/ha

P. Millett/ha

09/10 447 0.3 0.55 1.05

10/11 468 0.65 1.15 1.2

11/12 242 0 0.4 0.75

• Rainfall & Crop yield variation – Ward 11 lead farmers:

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Outcome 3: Climate information

• A new tailored local level seasonal rainfall forecast system for Chiredzi District has been developed.

• A network of local level climate monitoring stations has been established.

• Capacity of extension workers to access, interpret and help farmers use climate information has been developed.

• There is still need for more work to develop a robust decision support system for crop and livestock management.

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Outcome 4: Replication• The success and potential of certain adaptation measures has gained

recognition at local level and beyond. Farmer Field Schools used to promote replication beyond pilot sites.

• The project strategy has a national profile.

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Replication cont…

• The project has developed a range of knowledge products to stimulate replication.

• There is more that needs to be done for lessons from the project to influence policy at district and national level development programmes

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Enabling factors

1. The engagement of a range of stakeholders including farmers in assessing climate risks, identifying and field testing a range of adaptation measures increased their acceptance by farmers.

2. The presence of fairly active crop and livestock research centres relevant to the project site made the process of technology identification simpler.

3. Vastly altered weather patterns and climatic extremes have created a sense of urgency on the need for adaptation.

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Challenges

• Macro-economic instability at project start adversely affected project budget and scheduling.

• Project scope was too open, making planning difficult

• Geographical spread of pilot projects was too wide making monitoring costly and difficult.

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Challenges..

• Most of the project partners did not always have the capacity or incentive to oversee certain project activities

• The budget was always limited given the extend of the needs for adaptation.

• Project had challenges leveraging additional funding

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Lessons Learnt

• Climate resilience in rural communities and success seems to depend on a web of local actors catalyzed by a common objective to make positive change.

• Ecosystem restoration can be an important pillar to build adaptive capacity in rural communities facing land degradation challenges. This element could not be demonstrated because of budgetary limitations.

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Lessons cont..

• Most technologies required for adaptation already exist, what seems to be missing is the financing, business drivers and markets to incentivize adoption of some of the technologies

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Thank You

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