Climate change is a global problem, but adaptation and resilience building need to be implemented locally. The world faces a triple and interconnected crisis: a climate emergency, rapid biodiversity destruction and entrenched poverty which mostly affects the rural populace. The local and indigenous peoples are often seen as stewards and custodians of the environment while their rights have been recognized at the international level and not respected at the national level.
Through the MOU signed with the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development, 4-H Zimbabwe has been building the resilience of rural communities targeting women farmers to climate change using community-based adaptation indigenous knowledge systems aiming at addressing food insecurity.
To successfully combat climate change local people must be part of the conversations at all levels. This helps ensure that the adaptation respects local cultural practices and knowledge.
Conservative farming method (pfumvudza / intwasa), promotion of small grains (sorghum, pearl and finger millet) which are drought resistant than conventional crops and indigenous knowledge systems adaptive methods to climate change are part of the organisation’s intervention strategies.
