Chronicle Editor
Sikhulekelani Moyo, Business Reporter
RURAL communities are the hardest hit by the adverse effects of climate change with women and children being the most vulnerable, an official said yesterday.
Speaking during a webinar hosted by the Zimbabwe Women Resource Centre and Network (ZWCN), climate change adaptation officer in the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Mrs Charity Denhere said climate change is affecting every sector of the economy but rural communities are the worst hit.
She said rural communities’ situation was exacerbated by the farmers’ over-reliance on rain-fed agriculture.
“Women and children are the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change which has seen them not getting enough food and at times struggling to access clean and safe drinking water,” said Mrs Denhere.
She said at times women walk long distances to fetch drinking water and have to source food for their families.
According to Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), women are found in both productive and reproductive activities and therefore, giving them equal opportunities in accessing resources can help in improving economies.
Mrs Denhere said the Government through her ministry has implemented a number of climate adaptation projects meant to mitigate the effects of climate change especially in rural areas.
“The projects include borehole drilling, nutritional gardens, bee keeping and value addition centres for fresh produce,” she said.
Mrs Denhere said in areas where Government has drilled boreholes, women are no longer walking long distances to fetch water.
She said value addition centres have enabled women to provide nutritious food for their families thereby reducing cases of malnutrition.
Mrs Denhere said women were also selling surplus from their projects to raise money to pay fees for their children as well as meet other financial obligations.
“Women and children in districts such as Bulilima have witnessed an improvement in their livelihoods as evidenced by increased enrolment in schools as many women are raising money for school fees from selling honey and honey products,” she said.
Mrs Denhere said other climate adaptation initiatives that were available for women include Pfumvudza/Intwasa, growing small grains as well as rearing small livestock like goats.
Pfumvudza/Intwasa is a climate-proofing agriculture programme, which has been hailed for averting drought in some parts of the country.
In a video played during the webinar, a young farmer Miss Isabel Chikaka from Mutoko said she grows small grains and was realising enough to fend for her family.
“This area does not receive enough rainfall hence our decision to grow small grains which do not require a lot of rain,” she said – @SikhulekelaniM1
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