Zimbabwe: Wetland protection turn drought prone community into climate smart village
By Stephen Jakes
[...]
Chieza Village in Chimanimani east of Manicaland province, located in a drought prone area in agro-ecological region V, exposed to the negative impacts of an extremely dry environment, is experiencing gushes of water flowing again in the river due to the water recharge of the wetland.
Through wetland protection, the once food aid reliant Chieza community is now accessing water again, now growing and producing Maize,Michigan beans and other horticultural varieties for ready markets.
As a result of water oozing again from the Mupandei Wetland, Oxfam and partners have reduced the exposure of farmers to short-term risks, while also strengthening the communitie's resilience by building their capacity to adapt and prosper in the face of shocks and longer-term stresses.
Oxfam's Scaling Up Climate change adaptation project in this village is focusing on restoring and enhancing the communities' productive capacity through sustainably increasing agricultural productivity, strengthening livelihoods and incomes from crops and other livelihood options.
Through wetland protection our work is placing an emphasis on natural ecosystem management an important pillar for climate change adaptation. These services such as wetlands are essential for recharging underground water to enable communities to adapt to hush climate conditions.
[...]