The project seeks to develop food security and sustainable management of natural resources and the environment through among others, enhanced use of traditional and early warning systems, and integrating preparedness and mitigation mechanisms across sectors, policies and programmes

Development Objectives

To demonstrate and promote adoption of a range of gender segregated approaches for adaptation to climate change among rural communities currently engaged in agriculture in vulnerable areas of Chiredzi district as a national model.

Project outputs:

• National institutions have capacity to improve knowledge base to facilitate climate change adaptation
• Livelihood strategies and resilience of vulnerable farmers/pastoralists in the selected pilot sites improved and sustained to cope with drought
• Use of climate early warning systems by vulnerable communities in pilot sites increase and drought preparedness improved.

Thematic Area: Energy & Environment; Poverty Reduction

Project Status: Project is operational, ongoing

Project Location:   Chiredzi District, SE Lowveld, Zimbabwe.

Project Period: October,  2007- September,  2012

Major Sources of Funds: Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) under the Global Environment Facility (GEF)

Delivery in 2011

$176,753 (2011). About 98.46%

UNDP Programme Officer: Daisy Mukarakate

Partners/ Implementing Agency: Environmental Management Agency;

Director General (Ms. M. Chasi)
Project Manager (Dr. L. Unganai)

Additional Information available:

The following reports have been produced:

• Project Baseline Study
• Downscaling climate change scenarios for Save and Runde River Basins
• An assessment of the Sensitivity of Save and Runde Surface Water supplies to climate change impacts
• Climate Risk and vulnerability assessment for Chiredzi District
• Climate change scenarios for the Save Catchment of Zimbabwe with Special reference to Chiredzi: synthesis report.
• Challenges and opportunities for climate change adaptation among small-holder farmers in southeast Zimbabwe
• Lessons and experiences of the Coping with Drought and Climate Change project in Zimbabwe

More information available on the project website (www.ema-cwd.co.zw). Includes flyers on the following pilot demonstration projects:

• Cassava production and climate change adaptation in southeast Zimbabwe
• Captive breeding of crocodiles as a climate change adaptive strategy in southeast Zimbabwe
• Aquaculture as an alternative livelihood strategy in semi-arid regions of Zimbabwe
• Optimizing crop mix and soil moisture management as climate change adaptive strategies
• Natural Resources Management and climate change adaptation (Case of Likhulu project)
• Optimizing livestock production as a climate change adaptation strategy in semi-arid regions of Zimbabwe
• Southeast Zimbabwe Lowveld inter-basin water transfer as a climate change adaptation strategy
• Climate information based farming model for small-holder farmers in semi-arid regions of Zimbabwe 

Project Documents
 Coping with climate change Project Document (4.59 MB)

 Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (3.25 MB)