DOCSLIB.ORG

Impact and Sustainability of Low-Head Drip Irrigation Kits, in the Semi-Arid Gwanda and Beitbridge Districts, Mzingwane Catchment, Limpopo Basin, Zimbabwe

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Impact and Sustainability of Low-Head Drip Irrigation Kits, in the Semi-Arid Gwanda and Beitbridge Districts, Mzingwane Catchment, Limpopo Basin, Zimbabwe Physics and Chemistry of the Earth 31 (2006) 885–892 www.elsevier.com/locate/pce Impact and sustainability of low-head drip irrigation kits, in the semi-arid Gwanda and Beitbridge Districts, Mzingwane Catchment, Limpopo Basin, Zimbabwe Richard Moyo a,*, David Love b,c, Marloes Mul a,d, Walter Mupangwa c, Steve Twomlow c a Department of Civil Engineering, University of Zimbabwe, P.O. Box MP167, Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe b WaterNet, P.O. Box MP600, Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe c ICRISAT Bulawayo, Matopos Research Station, P.O. Box 776 Bulawayo, Zimbabwe d UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, Westvest 7, P.O. Box 3015, 2601 DA, Delft, The Netherlands Abstract Resource-poor smallholder farmers in the semi-arid Gwanda and Beitbridge districts face food insecurity on an annual basis due to a combination of poor and erratic rainfall (average 500 mm/a and 345 mm/a, respectively, for the period 1970–2003) and technologies inappropriate to their resource status. This impacts on both household livelihoods and food security. In an attempt to improve food security in the catchment a number of drip kit distribution programmes have been initiated since 2003 as part of an on-going global initiative aimed at 2 million poor households per year. A number of recent studies have assessed the technical performance of the drip kits in-lab and in-field. In early 2005 a study was undertaken to assess the impacts and sustainability of the drip kit programme. Representatives of the NGOs, local government, traditional leadership and agricultural extension officers were interviewed. Focus group discussions with ben- eficiaries and other villagers were held at village level. A survey of 114 households was then conducted in two districts, using a question- naire developed from the output of the interviews and focus group discussions. The results from the study showed that the NGOs did not specifically target the distribution of the drip kits to poor members of the community (defined for the purpose of the study as those not owning cattle). Poor households made up 54% of the beneficiaries. This poor targeting of vulnerable households could have been a result of conditions set by some implementing NGOs that beneficiaries must have an assured water source. On the other hand, only 2% of the beneficiaries had used the kit to produce the expected 5 harvests over the 2 years, owing to problems related to water shortage, access to water and also pests and diseases. About 51% of the respondents had produced at least 3 harvests and 86% produced at least 2 harvests. Due to water shortages during the dry season 61% of production with the drip kit occurred during the wet season. This suggests that most households use the drip kits as supplementary irrigation. Conflicts between beneficiaries and water point committees or other water users developed in some areas especially during the dry season. The main finding from this study was that low cost drip kit programs can only be a sustainable intervention if implemented as an integral part of a long-term development program, not short-term relief programs and the programme should involve a broad range of stakeholders. A first step in any such program, especially in water scarce areas such as Gwanda and Beitbridge, is a detailed analysis of the existing water resources to assess availability and potential conflicts, prior to distribution of drip kits. Ó 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Access to water; Drip kits; Intervention targeting; Sustainable intervention; Water availability * Corresponding author. Present address: Department of Land and Water Resources Management, Midlands State University, P. Bag 9055, Gweru, Zimbabwe. Tel.: +263 11 719515; fax: +263 54 26233. E-mail addresses: [email protected], [email protected] (R. Moyo), [email protected], [email protected] (D. Love), mul@ eng.uz.ac.zw, [email protected] (M. Mul), [email protected] (W. Mupangwa), [email protected] (S. Twomlow). 1474-7065/$ - see front matter Ó 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.pce.2006.08.020 886 R. Moyo et al. / Physics and Chemistry of the Earth 31 (2006) 885–892 1. Introduction efficient utilization of drip kits. The enabling conditions include availability of spares, technical and agronomic sup- Small-scale farmers are the largest population group in port, and continuing availability of a minimum water the agriculture sector of most developing countries and requirement. Access to and adequacy of good water quality are now perceived as key players in increasing global food surface and ground water was also deemed important for production and achieving food security (Frausto, 2000). sustainable use of the kits. It also recommended that the In the past, it was thought that large-scale irrigation water source for the drip kit should be within 15–30 m of schemes could help overcome production shortfalls in these the garden. These conditions are important in light of the regions. Unfortunately, few of the large-scale schemes have fact that kits are supposed to be used through out the year. met the ambitious targets identified at their conception (e.g. For efficient utilization, recipient households are supposed Samakande et al., 2004; Senzanje et al., 2003). The cost of to grow up to three cycles of crops per year, including at least continued maintenance are often not met, and a large num- one cycle of vegetable crops, for Zimbabwe this is in the win- ber of schemes throughout Zimbabwe, and for that matter ter dry season and early maize or bean crop at the start of the much of sub-Saharan Africa, have been identified by the wet season, which can be harvested in December. Ministry of Water Resources and Infrastructure Develop- Since 2003 the LEAD program in Zimbabwe has distrib- ment as requiring rehabilitation to allow for better utiliza- uted over 20,000 low-head drip irrigation kits to food-inse- tion of existing irrigation potential (Mutezo, 2005). cure families for developing household nutrition gardens. Furthermore, many dams developed for irrigation purposes More than 1000 such kits have been distributed to rural are heavily under-utilized (Love et al., 2005; Mutezo, 2005). households in Gwanda and Beitbridge Districts. This has A global initiative on drip kit distribution has been devel- the potential to impact both on household livelihoods oped for smallholder irrigation by the USAID Linkages for and on national food security. The LEAD program worked the Economic Advancement of the Disadvantaged (LEAD) with more than six Non-Government Organizations project. This initiative is expected to benefit 30 million poor (NGOs) in the distribution of the drip kits in the two dis- households around the globe (2 million per year) by 2015 tricts. Each NGO developed its own targeting criteria for and should bring 1 million hectares under irrigated cultiva- beneficiaries in their respective communities and their tion over the next 15 years (Hussain et al., 2002). The focus own training/support programs. on upgrading smallholder agriculture is essential, since Several lab and on-farm studies have been carried out in smallholder farmers make up around half of the food inse- Zimbabwe on the technical evaluations of the drip kit perfor- cure population of the World (FAO, 2004). mance including how it affects crop yield and water produc- The low-head drip kit can irrigate around 100 m2 as tivity (Chigerwe et al., 2004; Maisiri et al., 2005; Nkala, 2003; shown in Fig. 1. The capacity of the drum (tank) is normally Senzanje, 1997, 1998; Senzanje et al., 2003, 2004). From 100–200 l, and it must be filled once or twice a day. The these studies it was found that low cost drip systems had a drum must be placed at a height of 1–2 m above ground, potential to be beneficially adopted by smallholder farmers. to provide the required pressure. Water then flows from To complement the existing work on the technical the drum into 10–30 m long drip-lines, in which emitters performance of drip kits, this study was carried out to assess are regularly spaced to release water (Chigerwe et al., 2004). the impacts and sustainability of the drip kit program imple- A number of studies have been undertaken in Asia (e.g. mented by a range of NGOs in the Mzingwane Catchment, Behr and Naik, 1999; Westarp et al., 2004) to assess the Zimbabwe, in relation to water availability, access to water, requirements for effective distribution and sustainable and utilization of the kits and the targeting of beneficiaries. The Fig. 1. Schematic diagram of a drip kit (Keller, 2004). R. Moyo et al. / Physics and Chemistry of the Earth 31 (2006) 885–892 887 study also explored the conflicts arising due to the use of most active in the distribution of drip kits. In Gwanda water from existing water sources for drip kits. the study was done in Wards 14, 17 and 18 while in Beit- bridge the study was done in Wards 4, 5, 6 and 7. These wards had received the highest number of drip kits distrib- 2. Materials and methods uted by the NGOs namely Intermediate Technology Devel- opment Group (ITDG), Hlekweni, Lutheran Development 2.1. Study area Services (LDS), Dabane, Compassion Ministries, Mvura- manzi and World Vision. The selected wards were also in The study area is a semi-arid area of southern Zimba- the drier parts of the districts, where the impact of such bwe, with a mean annual rainfall of between 500 mm/a at technology would be expected to be higher. West Nicholson near Gwanda in the northern area, to The districts of Gwanda and Beitbridge have a combined 345 mm/a at Beitbridge in the southern area (derived from population of over 220,000 and had an average growth rate rainfall records from 1970 to 2003).
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Thesis Proposal: Title: Supervisor: Date of Submission
    Name: Taderera Hebert Chisi Student Number: 612C7065 Department: History Thesis Proposal: Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy of Rhodes University. Title: Transformations in Hlengwe Ethnicity in Chiredzi, Zimbabwe, 1890 to 2014. Supervisor: Professor Enocent Msindo Date of Submission: 8 November 2017 0 CONTENTS Illustrations .................................... iii Dedications .................................... .iv Acknowledgements ....................... v Abstract .......................................... viivtH- Acronymns ..................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.ix CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER 2: TOWARDS AN UNDERSTANDING OF EARLY HLENGWE SOCIETY ..........................................................................................................................................................5556 CHAPTER 3: HLENGWE AND THE COLONIAL ENCOUNTER IN MATIBI 2 AND SENGWE COMMUNAL AREAS, 1890s-1940s....................................................................... 99 CHAPTER 4: AFRICAN SETTLERS, COLONIAL ADMINISTRATORS AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF HLENGWE ETHNICITY, 1950s-1960s..................................... 154 CHAPTER 5: THE ROLE OF THE FREE METHODIST CHURCH MISSIONARIES IN THE TRANSFORMATION OF HLENGWE IDENTITY, 1950s-1960s.............................. 185 CHAPTER 6: ZAPU NATIONALISTS AND HLENGWE ETHNICITY: 1964-1975.......207 CHAPTER 7: REVOLUTIONARY ARMED STRUGGLE AND THE HLENGWE IDENTITY, 1975-1980.................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Alluvial Aquifers in the Mzingwane Catchment: Their Distribution, Properties, Current Usage and Potential Expansion
    Physics and Chemistry of the Earth 31 (2006) 988–994 www.elsevier.com/locate/pce Alluvial aquifers in the Mzingwane catchment: Their distribution, properties, current usage and potential expansion William Moyce a,*, Pride Mangeya a, Richard Owen a,d, David Love b,c a Department of Geology, University of Zimbabwe, P.O. Box MP167, Mt. Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe b WaterNet, P.O. Box MP600, Mt. Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe c ICRISAT Bulawayo, Matopos Research Station, P.O. Box 776, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe d Minerals Resources Centre, University of Zimbabwe, P.O. Box MP167, Mt. Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe Abstract The Mzingwane River is a sand filled channel, with extensive alluvial aquifers distributed along its banks and bed in the lower catch- ment. LandSat TM imagery was used to identify alluvial deposits for potential groundwater resources for irrigation development. On the false colour composite band 3, band 4 and band 5 (FCC 345) the alluvial deposits stand out as white and dense actively growing veg- etation stands out as green making it possible to mark out the lateral extent of the saturated alluvial plain deposits using the riverine fringe and vegetation . The alluvial aquifers form ribbon shaped aquifers extending along the channel and reaching over 20 km in length in some localities and are enhanced at lithological boundaries. These alluvial aquifers extend laterally outside the active channel, and individual alluvial aquifers have been measured with area ranging from 45 ha to 723 ha in the channels and 75 ha to 2196 ha on the plains. The alluvial aquifers are more pronounced in the Lower Mzingwane, where the slopes are gentler and allow for more sediment accumulation.
    [Show full text]
  • Provisional Constitutional Referendum Polling Stations 16 March 2013 Matabeleland South Province
    Matabeleland South Provisional Constitutional Referendum Polling Stations 16 March 2013 Matabeleland South Province DISTRICT CONSTITUENCY LOCAL AUTHORITY WARD# POLLING STATIONS FACILITY Beitbridge Beitbridge East Beitbridge RDC 1 Chikwalakwala Primary School Beitbridge Beitbridge East Beitbridge RDC 1 Chipise Primary School Beitbridge Beitbridge East Beitbridge RDC 1 Chitulipasi Primary School Beitbridge Beitbridge East Beitbridge RDC 1 Lungowe Primary School Beitbridge Beitbridge East Beitbridge RDC 1 Malabe Primary School Beitbridge Beitbridge East Beitbridge RDC 2 Chabili Primary School Beitbridge Beitbridge East Beitbridge RDC 2 Chapongwe Primary School Beitbridge Beitbridge East Beitbridge RDC 2 Dite Primary School Beitbridge Beitbridge East Beitbridge RDC 2 Lukumbwe Dip Tank Tent Beitbridge Beitbridge East Beitbridge RDC 2 Panda Mine Tent Beitbridge Beitbridge East Beitbridge RDC 2 Lukange Primary School Beitbridge Beitbridge East Beitbridge RDC 3 Chaswingo Primary School Beitbridge Beitbridge East Beitbridge RDC 3 Fula Primary School Beitbridge Beitbridge East Beitbridge RDC 3 Madaulo Primary School Beitbridge Beitbridge East Beitbridge RDC 3 Makombe Primary School Beitbridge Beitbridge East Beitbridge RDC 3 Mandate Primary School Primary School Beitbridge Beitbridge West Beitbridge RDC 4 Jopembe Primary School Beitbridge Beitbridge West Beitbridge RDC 4 Mgaladivha Primary School Beitbridge Beitbridge West Beitbridge RDC 4 Manazwe Area Tent Beitbridge Beitbridge West Beitbridge RDC 4 Matshiloni Primary School Beitbridge Beitbridge
    [Show full text]
  • Rosa 451V02 Zimbabwe Flood
    ZIMBABWE: Flood Snapshot (as of 09 March 2017) Situational Indicators Flood Risk Areas Homeless people Homesteads damaged 1,985 2,579 Zambia Mashonaland Mazowe Central Districts Affected Fatalities Mazowe Bridge Mashonaland 45 246 West Zambezi Harare Funding Raised Dams Breached Victoria Falls USD M Gwai 14.5 140 Mashonaland *Government raised Dahlia East Matabeleland Odzi Midlands Hydrological Update North Manicaland Expected river level/flow at this time of season (m3/s) Zambezi river Odzi river Bulawayo Odzi Gorge River level/flow as at 03/03/2017 3 69.1m3/s as percentage of expected 1556m /s Increase in flows due Increase in flows. River level/flow as at 27/02/2017 Moderate flood risk in as percentage of expected to incoming runoff from Masvingo the upstream countries Manicaland Normal river level/flow Runde at this time of season Matabeleland South Mzingwane Confluence with Tokwe Botswana 107% Legend 91% 123% Limpopo Mozambique Runde river 87% Mazowe river Flood Affected Districts 429% Worst Affected Districts 168.4m3/s 133% 167.4m3/s Site where river flow measured South Africa Increase in flows causing Flows are now flooding problems in Chivi. 212% increasing and are There is high risk of flooding 352% above average. Situation Update in Runde up to the confluence with Save. Zimbabwe has appealed for assistance after declaring floods a national disaster. Almost 250 people have been killed and about 2,000 people have been left homeless, with around 900 351% people displaced to a camp in Tsholostho in Matabeleland North. Much of the heavy rains 367% received over the past month can be attributed to Tropical Cyclone DINEO, which crossed 857% southern and western Zimbabwe as a powerful storm system in mid-February.
    [Show full text]
  • The Lower Mzingwane Alluvial Aquifer: Managed Releases, Groundwater
    Write up (iv) interim paper for WaterNet 2007 The lower Mzingwane alluvial aquifer: managed releases, groundwater - surface water interactions and the challenge of salinity David Love a,b*, Richard Owen c, Stefan Uhlenbrook d,e, Pieter van der Zaag d,e and William Moyce f a WaterNet, PO Box MP600, Mt. Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe b ICRISAT Bulawayo, Matopos Research Station, PO Box 776 Bulawayo, Zimbabwe c Mineral Resources Centre, University of Zimbabwe, PO MP 167, Mt. Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe d UNESCO-IHE, Westvest 7, PO Box 3015, 2601 DA Delft, The Netherlands e Department of Water Resources, Delft University of Technology, PO Box 5048, 2600 GA Delft, The Netherlands f Department of Geology, University of Zimbabwe, PO MP 167, Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe Abstract The alluvial aquifers of the Mzingwane Catchments are the most extensive of any tributaries in the Limpopo Basin and are present in the lower reaches of most of the larger rivers. The alluvial aquifers form ribbon shapes covering over 20 km in length, generally less than 1 km in width and areal extents ranging from 100 ha to 255 ha in the channels and 85 ha to 430 ha on the flood plains. The study area is the lower Mzingwane River, downstream of Zhovhe Dam for a stretch of approximately 50 km. Five commercial agro-businesses use alluvial groundwater for citrus, wheat, maize and vegetable production. The water is abstracted from boreholes and well-points in the river and on the banks. These large users are resupplied by release of water from Zhovhe Dam, which recharges the aquifer.
    [Show full text]
  • November 2019
    November 2019 Contributors Girma Ebrahim (IWMI) Fanilo Father (DWS-BW) Chipo Hlatywayo (ZINWA) Keodumetse Keetile (DWS-BW) Piet Kenabatho (University of Botswana) Jonathan Lautze (Project Leader, IWMI) Manuel Magombeyi (IWMI) Kwazi Majola (DWS-SA) Boitshoko Matlhakoane (University of Witwatersrand) Linda Modo (DWS-BW) Pako Mowaneng (University of Botswana) Percy Mugwangwavari (Department of Water Resources Planning and Management Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement, Zimbabwe) Patience Mukuyu (IWMI) Brighton Munyai (SADC-GMI) Robert Mutepfa (Department of Water Resources Planning and Management Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement, Zimbabwe) Elelwani Netshitanini (DWS-SA) Benjamin Ngoni (DWS-BW) Welcome Nyalungu (DWS-SA) Ben Nyikadzino (ZINWA) Paul Pavelic (IWMI) Alfred Petros (DWS-BW) Fhedzisani Ramusiya (DWS-SA) Farai Simba (University of Great Zimbabwe) Karen Villholth (IWMI) i Acronyms AfDB African Development Bank AGWNET Africa Groundwater Network AMD Acid mine drainage BIOPAMA Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management BCL Bamangwato Concessions Ltd CMA Catchment Management Agency DWA Department of Water Affairs DWS-BW Department of Water and Sanitation-Botswana DWS-SA Department of Water and Sanitation-South Africa DoH Department of Health DWAF Department of Water Affairs and Forestry EFR Environmental Flow Requirements ET Evapotranspiration EMA Environmental Management Agency FDC Flow Duration Curve FAO Food and Agricultural Organization GDE Groundwater Depended
    [Show full text]
  • Open Resource
    PROTECTION AND STRATEGIC USES OF GROUNDWATER RESOURCES IN DROUGHT PRONE AREAS OF THE SADC REGION GROUNDWATER SITUATION ANALYSIS OF THE LIMPOPO RIVER BASIN FINAL REPORT This report is the final report on the project Protection and Strategic Uses of Groundwater Resources in the Transboundary Limpopo Basin and Drought Prone Areas of the SADC Region Title of Consulting Services: Groundwater Situation Analysis in the Limpopo River Basin The project was funded through a grant from The Global Environmental Facility (GEF Grant GEF-PDF TF027934 ) At the request of the World Bank a summary of the final report was prepared as a separate document by the Division of Water Environment and Forestry Technology CSIR, Pretoria, South Africa and issued as Report No. ENV-P-C-2003-047 DIVISION OF WATER, ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTRY TECHNOLOGY CSIR FINAL REPORT PROTECTION AND STRATEGIC USES OF GROUNDWATER RESOURCES IN DROUGHT PRONE AREAS OF THE SADC REGION GROUNDWATER SITUATION ANALYSIS OF THE LIMPOPO RIVER BASIN Prepared for: Southern African Development Community (SADC) Directorate for Infrastructure and Services Water Division Private Bag 0095 GABERONE Botswanao Prepared by: Environmentek, CSIR P.O. Box 395 0001 Pretoria South Africa Pretoria Project no: JQ390 October 2003 Report no: ENV-P-C 2003-026 Limpopo River Basin Groundwater Situation Analysis – Final Report CONTENTS 1. BACKGROUND TO AND PURPOSE OF THE STUDY.............................................. 1 2. OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE OF THE PROJECT........................................................ 3
    [Show full text]
  • Integrated Water Resources Management, Institutions and Livelihoods Under Stress Bottom-Up Perspectives from Zimbabwe
    Integrated Water resources ManageMent, InstItutIons and lIvelIhoods under stress BOTTOM-UP PERSPECTIVES FROM ZIMBABWE collin calvin mabiza Integrated Water Resources Management, institutions and livelihoods under stress: bottom-up perspectives from Zimbabwe DISSERTATION Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Board for Doctorates of Delft University of Technology and of the Academic Board of the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education for the Degree of DOCTOR to be defended in public on Wednesday, 6 February 2013, at 10:00 hours In Delft, the Netherlands by Collin Calvin MABIZA born in Chivhu, Zimbabwe Bachelor of Arts Honours in Geography and Environmental Science, Masters in Environmental Policy and Planning, University of Zimbabwe This dissertation has been approved by the supervisor: Prof. dr. ir. P. van der Zaag Composition of the Doctoral Committee: Chairman Rector Magnificus TU Delft Vice-Chairman Rector UNESCO-IHE Prof. dr. ir. P. van der Zaag UNESCO-IHE / Delft University of Technology, Supervisor Prof. dr. ir. H.H.G. Savenije Delft University of Technology Prof. dr. ir. C.M.S. de Fraiture UNESCO-IHE / Wageningen University Prof. dr. D.S. Tevera University of Swaziland, Matsapha, Swaziland Dr. E. Manzungu University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe Dr. ir. J.A. Bolding Wageningen University Prof. dr. ir. N.C. van de Giesen Delft University of Technology, reserve member CRC Press/Balkema is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2013, C.C.Mabiza All rights reserved. No part of this publication or the information contained herein may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, by photocopying, recording or otherwise, without written prior permission from the publishers.
    [Show full text]
  • Soil–Water Conservation and Rainwater Harvesting Strategies in the Semi-Arid Mzingwane Catchment, Limpopo Basin, Zimbabwe
    Physics and Chemistry of the Earth 31 (2006) 893–900 www.elsevier.com/locate/pce Soil–water conservation and rainwater harvesting strategies in the semi-arid Mzingwane Catchment, Limpopo Basin, Zimbabwe Walter Mupangwa a,*, David Love a,b, Steve Twomlow a a ICRISAT Bulawayo, Matopos Research Station, P.O. Box 776, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe b WaterNet, P.O. Box MP600, Mt. Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe Abstract Various soil water management practices have been developed and promoted for the semi arid areas of Zimbabwe. These include a variety of infield crop management practices that range from primary and seconday tillage approaches for crop establishment and weed management through to land forming practices such as tied ridges and land fallowing. Tillage methods evaluated in this study include deep winter ploughing, no till tied ridges, modified tied ridges, clean and mulch ripping, and planting basins. Data collected from the various trials since the 1990s show that mulch ripping and other minimum tillage practices consistently increased soil water content and crop yields compared to traditional spring ploughing. Trial results also showed higher soil loss from conventionally ploughed plots compared to plots under different minimum tillage practices. Ó 2006 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Keywords: Dead level contours; Infiltration pits; Planting basins; Soil–water conservation 1. Introduction Research work in Southern Africa has concluded that the four most important constraints to rainfed crop pro- Smallholder agriculture in the semi-arid areas of eastern duction are timeliness of planting, soil hydrological proper- and southern Africa is largely rainfed, and thus risky, due ties, weed control and labour (Gollifer, 1993; Twomlow, to high interannual variability and the occurrences of dry- 1994; Ellis-Jones and Mudhara, 1997).
    [Show full text]
  • Changing Hydroclimatic and Discharge Patterns in the Northern Limpopo Basin, Zimbabwe
    Changing hydroclimatic and discharge patterns in the northern Limpopo Basin, Zimbabwe David Love1, 2*, Stefan Uhlenbrook3,4, Steve Twomlow2 and Pieter van der Zaag3,4 1WaterNet, PO Box MP600, Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe 2 ICRISAT Bulawayo, Matopos Research Station, PO Box 776 Bulawayo, Zimbabwe 3 UNESCO-IHE, Westvest 7, PO Box 3015, 2601 DA Delft, The Netherlands 4 Department of Water Resources, Delft University of Technology, PO Box 5048, 2600 GA Delft, The Netherlands Abstract Changing regional and global trends in climate and discharge, such as global warming-related declines in annual rainfall in south-eastern Africa, are likely to have a strong influence on water resource availability, and to increase livelihood risk. It is therefore important to characterise such trends. Information can be obtained by examining and comparing the rainfall and runoff records at different locations within a basin. In this study, trends in various parameters of temperature (4 stations), rainfall (10 stations) and discharge (16 stations) from the northern part of the Limpopo Basin, Zimbabwe, were statistically analysed, using the Spearman rank test, the Mann-Kendall test and the Pettitt test. It was determined that rainfall and dis- charge in the study area have undergone a notable decline since 1980, both in terms of total annual water resources (declines in annual rainfall, annual unit runoff) and in terms of the temporal availability of water (declines in number of rainy days, increases in dry spells, increases in days without flow). Annual rainfall is negatively correlated to an index of the El Niño – Southern Oscillation phenomenon. The main areas of rising risk are an increasing number of dry spells, which is likely to decrease crop yields, and an increasing probability of annual discharge below the long-term average, which could limit blue-water availability.
    [Show full text]
  • Synopsis and Case Studies
    AN EVALUATION OF CLIMATE AND RUNOFF VARIABILITY AND ASSOCIATED LIVELIHOOD RISKS IN THE MZINGWANE CATCHMENT, LIMPOPO BASIN, ZIMBABWE# David Love1,2*,Stefan Uhlenbrook3, Elisha Madamombe4, Steve Twomlow2 and Pieter van der Zaag3 1 WaterNet, PO Box MP600, Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe 2 ICRISAT Bulawayo, Matopos Research Station, PO Box 776 Bulawayo, Zimbabwe 3 UNESCO-IHE, Westvest 7, PO Box 3015, 2601 DA Delft, The Netherlands 4 Research and Data Department, Zimbabwe National Water Authority, Harare, Zimbabwe ABSTRACT Climate change occurs over relatively long time scales, although some acceleration in changes can also be seen in data of the last twenty years. The reasons for the current changes in the climatological variables might be anthropogenic (e.g. greenhouse gas emission) or natural (e.g. solar variability etc.), or most likely a combination of both reasons. An increasing body of evidence shows that greenhouse gas emissions are changing our climate significantly. Climate change is projected to substantially reduce available water (as reflected by projected runoff from a catchment) in many of the water- scarce areas of the world A statistical analysis was carried out of over fifty years of precipitation, temperature and runoff data from several locations in the Mzingwane Catchment – the portion of the Limpopo Basin that falls within Zimbabwe. The trends show declines in precipitation and runoff and increases in maximum and minimum temperatures, across the catchment. The trends observed are comparable to those predicted from some of the global circulation models (GCMs) based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report on Emission Scenarios (IPCC (SRES)). Regression analyses show the relationships between climate variability and change and decreasing runoff.
    [Show full text]
  • Water Resources Strategies to Increase Food Production in the Semi-Arid Tropics with Particular Emphasis on the Potential of Alluvial Groundwater
    Water resources strategies to increase Food Production in the semi-arid troPics With Particular emPhasis on the Potential oF alluvial groundWater david love WATER RESOURCES STRATEGIES TO INCREASE FOOD PRODUCTION IN THE SEMI-ARID TROPICS WITH PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON THE POTENTIAL OF ALLUVIAL GROUNDWATER WATER RESOURCES STRATEGIES TO INCREASE FOOD PRODUCTION IN THE SEMI-ARID TROPICS WITH PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON THE POTENTIAL OF ALLUVIAL GROUNDWATER DISSERTATION Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the Board for Doctorates of Delft University of Technology and of the Academic Board of the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education for the Degree of DOCTOR to be defended in public on Thursday, 12 September 2013, at 12.30 hrs in Delft, the Netherlands by David LOVE Bachelor of Science, University of Zimbabwe Bachelor of Science Honours and Masters of Science, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa born in Lusaka, Zambia. This dissertation has been approved by the supervisors: Prof. dr. S. Uhlenbrook Prof. dr. ir. P. van der Zaag Composition of Doctoral Committee: Chairman Rector Magnificus TU Delft Vice-Chairman Rector UNESCO-IHE Prof. dr. S. Uhlenbrook UNESCO-IHE / Delft University of Technology Prof. dr. ir. P. van der Zaag UNESCO-IHE / Delft University of Technology Prof. dr. ir. H.H.G Savenije Delft University of Technology Prof.dr.ir. N.C van de Giesen Delft University of Technology Prof dr. C. de Fraiture UNESCO-IHE / Wageningen University Prof. dr. D. Mazvimavi University of the Western Cape, South Africa Dr. ir.T.N. Olsthoorn Delft University of Technology, reserve member CRC Press/Balkema is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2013, David Love All rights reserved.
    [Show full text]