The Adverse Effect of Climate Change in Zimbabwe

The Adverse Effect of Climate Change in Zimbabwe

Photo: Ninara/Flickr Creative Commons (showing a drought stricken Zimbabwe)

Zimbabwe, a country in the Sub Sahara Africa is not being spared by the negative effects of climate change. Climate change is a sudden change in weather patterns due to global warming mainly caused by human activities and other external factors like solar radiation and volcanic eruptions [1]. Zimbabwe has reported a decline in precipitation in the past 60 years and also global warming temperatures of up to 0.8 °C [2].

The impacts of climate change in Zimbabwe has resulted in the violation of what the United Nations is trying to achieve in terms of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). The poverty rate, famine and deforestation rate has significantly increased due to the climate change effects.

Currently in other parts of Zimbabwe, people are trading a cow for a 50 kg bag of maize due to the poor rainfalls which adversely lead to drought that have affected the country. Maize is the staple food in Zimbabwe Under normal circumstances the average price of a cow is US$250-400 whilst a 50 kg bag of maize cost about $US50.Due to the low rainfalls and the drought, famine rate has also increased in the country, since no farming activities are taking place, it leads to poor farming activities and low soil quality due to lack of manure. This leads to a high dependence on food aid. This climate change effect violates SDG 1 and SDG 2 which seeks to end poverty and hunger respectively. Simulation on maize production at all sites showed a considerable amount of variation under climate change conditions and will not give good yields, thus making maize production a less viable activity under climate change conditions. The simulated changes in crop yields are driven by two factors: CO₂ enrichment and changes in climate. In the low-lying areas of southern Zimbabwe, for example, it is probable that climate change will turn the region into a non-maize-producing area, as exemplified by reduced maize production in Masvingo. If climate change becomes a reality, this area, which represents 42% of the communal area, will become even more marginal for maize production and the farming seasons could be 25% shorter than now [3].

Since farming, is one of the major income in Zimbabwe, the presence of drought due to climate change has resulted in high rates of prostitution by women and girls succumbing them to HIV/AIDS and related diseases. This affects the women and girls’ general wellbeing and good wealth violating the SGG 3. Furthermore drought due to climate change, it takes away the right to decent work and economic growth as per the requirements of SDG 8. This effectively results also in women disempowerment making them more prone to abuse.

In addition to that, climate change has resulted in people consuming poor water quality in Zimbabwe. The moment there is a drought; people tend to obtain their water from dirt and unsafe sources of water resulting in diseases like cholera and diarrhoea. This is not in line with goal number 7 of the SDGs which seeks at provision and access of clean water and sanitation access to everyone. Estimating water demand to year 2075 was based on population projections and average growth rates in water usage from 1950 to 1995, rainfall-runoff simulation for the doubling of CO₂ scenario showed that a 15%-19% decrease in rainfall and a 7.5%-13% increase in potential evapotranspiration will result in a 50% decrease in runoff and this will negatively result the existing water bodies[3].

The effect of climate change in Zimbabwe also has potential to hinder provision of clean energy access in alignment with SDG 7. The literature on energy and climate change focuses largely on the potential of ‘green’ technology to contribute to a new low-carbon economy. However, climate change is likely to compromise energy development, especially hydropower from Kariba Dam, which represents 40% per cent of electric power generation in sub-Saharan Africa. The commercial energy sector in Zimbabwe is dominated by electricity, while fuel wood provides the majority of energy for domestic use in rural areas. Low water supplies due to the drought since 2007 has also meant that the Kariba hydro-power station is operating at only 87% of its full capacity. [4].

References

1.          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change

2.          Unganai, L. S. (1996) Historic and Future Climate Change of Zimbabwe. Climate Research, 6, 137-145.

3.          Zimbabwe’s Initial National Communication under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – 1998. Zimbabwe’s Initial National Communication under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – 1998. Zimbabwe’s Initial National Communication under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – 1998.

4.          Brown et al. (2012) Climate Change, Impacts, Vulnerabilty and Adaptation in Zimbabwe. Climate Change Group, 1-40.

About the author

Dr. Mercy Manyuchi’smain focus is on Climate Change Effects and Sustainability and is involved in conducting Environmental Impact Assessment as well as Green Technologies that compact climate change.