Localised climate risk assessment for Gwanda

Yoliswa Dube-Moyo, Matabeleland South Bureau Chief

THERE is need to make use of indigenous knowledge systems to mitigate the shocks of climate change in rural communities, an official has said. The impact of climate change has resulted in significant decreases in crop yields and available grazing areas for livestock due to decreasing rainfall. Competition between game and livestock has increased, contributing to an escalating level of human-wildlife conflict.

In response to some of these challenges, Voices In the Vision for Africa (VIVA) in partnership with the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflicts (GPPAC) and financial support from UNDP, are implementing a project on localising climate security risk assessment in Gwanda District. The project is being implemented in three countries in Africa, namely, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Uganda with a climate security lens.

VIVA executive director Mr Nqobile Moyo said the practical experiences and lessons learnt from the project will feed into a Guidance Note for the localisation of integrated climate security risk assessment anchored in the conceptual framework and a toolkit developed by the UN Climate and Security Mechanism (CSM).

In an interview after a sensitisation meeting on localising climate security risk in Gwanda yesterday, Gwanda district development co-ordinator Mr Thulani Moyo said continuously sensitising communities on climate change issues was key.

“This is a new programme coming on the backdrop of climate change. VIVA wants to continue sensitising people and capture indigenous knowledge systems while fusing them with the preparedness strategies in Gwanda,” said Mr Moyo.

He said some of the strategies, among others, are the rehabilitation of the environment, re-establishment and strengthening of irrigation schemes and new farming methods to counter drought.– @Yolisswa