Post by mangena on Apr 27, 2009 5:36:45 GMT -5
en.cop15.dk/news/view+news?newsid=920
Zimbabwe's farmers feel the changing climate
Smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe tell of erratic rainfall, drought and the erosion of plant genetic resources as some of the evidence that climate change is taking place.
Marianne Bom
25/03/2009 07:15
Zimbabwe is experiencing an unprecedented series of extreme weather events which have serious implications for food security and the economy as a whole. In the near future the burden of climate change risks being felt more by the poor, says Collin Mutasa, senior official of the Meteorological Service Department to the local newspaper The Herald.
Severe droughts have become more frequent reports a village elder Peter Chamboko (84) of Seke rural district about 40 km from the capital of Harare.
"To us as people who are not educated the clearest evidence that climate change is happening is the severity of droughts we have experienced in recent years," he says.
Smallholder farmers tell of erratic rainfall, drought and the erosion of plant genetic resources as some of the evidence that climate change is happening at a faster rate than in the past.
"When I was growing we used to receive lots of rain here in Seke," says Mary Guzha (83). "The rain pattern was predictable…we had madzura chando (winter rains in June) followed by gukurahundi rains in August, bumharutsva rains in September and the kutemera gwati rains which signalled the start of the new rain season."
The predictable rainfall pattern meant that farmers knew exactly when to plant their crops.
"But now things have changed… We don't know when to plant. Timing is now a big headache for us," she says.
Over the last 100 years Zimbabwe has experienced a rise in daily maximum temperatures of about two degrees Celsius, rainfall has declined by about five percent, rainfall events have became more intense and mid-season dry spells have increased.
According to the Meteorological Service Department, Southern Africa is likely to experience a temperature rise of 2 to 4 degrees Celsius as a result of doubling carbon dioxide emissions in the next century. Extreme climate events such as dry conditions, heat waves and heavy precipitation will become more intense and frequent, increasing the risk of droughts and floods.
According to Collin Mutasa of the Meteorological Service farmers have to try to adapt their operations to the changing climate.
"Farmers need to utilize information from the Met Office to help guide their farming operations," he says to The Herald.
Zimbabwe's farmers feel the changing climate
Smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe tell of erratic rainfall, drought and the erosion of plant genetic resources as some of the evidence that climate change is taking place.
Marianne Bom
25/03/2009 07:15
Zimbabwe is experiencing an unprecedented series of extreme weather events which have serious implications for food security and the economy as a whole. In the near future the burden of climate change risks being felt more by the poor, says Collin Mutasa, senior official of the Meteorological Service Department to the local newspaper The Herald.
Severe droughts have become more frequent reports a village elder Peter Chamboko (84) of Seke rural district about 40 km from the capital of Harare.
"To us as people who are not educated the clearest evidence that climate change is happening is the severity of droughts we have experienced in recent years," he says.
Smallholder farmers tell of erratic rainfall, drought and the erosion of plant genetic resources as some of the evidence that climate change is happening at a faster rate than in the past.
"When I was growing we used to receive lots of rain here in Seke," says Mary Guzha (83). "The rain pattern was predictable…we had madzura chando (winter rains in June) followed by gukurahundi rains in August, bumharutsva rains in September and the kutemera gwati rains which signalled the start of the new rain season."
The predictable rainfall pattern meant that farmers knew exactly when to plant their crops.
"But now things have changed… We don't know when to plant. Timing is now a big headache for us," she says.
Over the last 100 years Zimbabwe has experienced a rise in daily maximum temperatures of about two degrees Celsius, rainfall has declined by about five percent, rainfall events have became more intense and mid-season dry spells have increased.
According to the Meteorological Service Department, Southern Africa is likely to experience a temperature rise of 2 to 4 degrees Celsius as a result of doubling carbon dioxide emissions in the next century. Extreme climate events such as dry conditions, heat waves and heavy precipitation will become more intense and frequent, increasing the risk of droughts and floods.
According to Collin Mutasa of the Meteorological Service farmers have to try to adapt their operations to the changing climate.
"Farmers need to utilize information from the Met Office to help guide their farming operations," he says to The Herald.