Climate Resilience Strategies and Livelihood Development in Dry Regions of Zimbabwe

Abstract

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations member states in 2015 were aimed among other things at improving people’s well-being. Despite goal 2 on zero hunger by 2030, climate change has adversely affected agriculture, threatening food security and rural livelihood security for many Zimbabweans. Extreme weather conditions induced by climate have led to food insecurity, precarity, poverty and vulnerability Against this background, the study assesses climate resilience strategies in three dry regions of Zimbabwe, namely, Nyanyadzi, Chiredzi and Gwanda. The study adopts a mixed-methods approach that combines quantitative and qualitative approaches. Data were collected through document reviews, key informant interviews (KIIs), focus group discussions (FGDs) and household survey. One thousand one hundred forty-one respondents were recruited through random sampling. This chapter argues that climate resilience and livelihood development in Zimbabwe are compromised by aridity. Furthermore, the paper illustrates ways in which the adopted resilience strategies improve food security, thus reducing poverty and deprivation. The study found that achieving SDGs requires a partnership between governments, the private sector, civil society and citizens in a participatory manner. This chapter recommends a shift towards a holistic integrated approach of all stakeholders’ initiatives in order to achieve sustainable livelihood development for rural communities in arid regions.