ACCID RSS newsfeed

Groups and climate change: Building local capacity for adaptation in Goromonzi District, Munyawiri Ward, Zimbabwe

15 August 2012, AfriCAN Climate
URL: http://www.africanclimate.net/en/cases/communities-and-climate-change-building-local-capacity-adaptation-goromonzi-district-munyawiri

This case study shows the experience on participative community adaptation projects to develop a range of coping mechanisms for reducing the vulnerability of peri-urban households to future climate-change shocks

The impacts of climate vulnerability, demonstrated by floods, droughts, unseasonal rains and extreme events, create enormous challenges for developing countries. These challenges are due to the poorest communities’ reliance on climate-sensitive economic areas, such as rain dependent agriculture, and their limited economic, technological and human capacities. Adaptation to climate change includes adjustments in behaviours or economic structure that reduce the vulnerability of society to changes in the climate system. Whether people can adapt and, for how long, depends on the resources available. Indeed, Africa has been identified as one of the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and at the same time, has low adaptive capacity.

In response to these challenges and issues, the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS), in partnership with colleagues in Eastern and Southern Africa, Europe and South Asia are undertaking a Community-Based Adaptation to Climate Change in Africa (CBAA) project.

The main focus of this project was to develop a range mechanisms for reducing the vulnerability of peri-urban households to future climate-change shocks. Munyawiri Ward, Domboshava area of Goromonzi district in Zimbabwe.

Located in a semi-arid area on the edges of Domboshava, Munyawiri truly depicts the climatic changes taking place in various parts of Zimbabwe, which often manifest themselves in period droughts and floods.

The overall objective of the project was to help communities adapt to climate change and share lessons learned from project activities with key stakeholders at local, national, regional and international levels in order to elicit their support for climate change adaptation