Smallholder farmer perceptions and experiences of climate change adaptation policies in semi-arid district of Zvishavane, Zimbabwe

Abstract

The Zimbabwe National Climate Change Response Strategy provides the most comprehensive statements of the Government’s climate change adaptation strategies by various sectors because Zimbabwe still lacks a stand-alone policy. Although the strategy has recently been launched, rural agrarian communities have always been interacting with various policies that relate to their welfare in the scenarios of climate uncertainties and the related livelihood sensitivities. This paper interrogates the smallholder farmer experiences of varied climate change adaptation policies and examines the institutional arrangements for different adaptation strategies in the semi-arid area of Zimbabwe. The study adopted an explanatory design and employed a questionnaire survey, focus group discussions and key informant interviews. 300 households were randomly selected from 3 purposefully selected wards to elicit data on community experiences of climate change adaptation strategies that were then traced to a related policy, policy implementer up to the policy makers’ level. 15 key informants were purposively selected to provide information on policy transmission channels and their implementation at community levels. Questionnaire data was analysed using Statistical package for social scientists, and was supported by information derived from focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Analysis and discussion was based on generated themes. It emerged that households and communities have developed strategies to adapt to climate change and these have become local level adaptation policies that are based on their own cultural values and norms. Even though the farmers were not readily aware of government policies, it emerged that state-centred decision making processes in policy formulation revealed a manner that excluded the society as a variable of any significance in the existing policies on climate change adaptation at national, community and household levels. However the government through different pieces of legislation and policies have included the issue of climate change adaptation. As such there is need to create a special unit in the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate to coordinate government departments working on weather and climate issues. The findings indicate the need to integrate the household and community based approaches of adaptation into the grand adaptation policies of the government. It was also recommended that society-centred policy arrangements should be integrated into state centred policy making processes