Vulnerability of fisherfolks and their perceptions towards climate change and its impacts on their livelihoods in a peri-urban lake system in Zimbabwe

• Published in: Environment, development and sustainability Vol. 21; no. 2; pp. 917 - 934
• Main Authors: Utete, Beaven, Phiri, Crispen, Mlambo, Sibonani S., Muboko, Never, Fregene, Bernadette T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01-04-2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Capital; Change agents; Climate change; Climate change mitigation; Climate effects; Colleges & universities; Deterioration; Diversification; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Economic diversification; Economic Geology; Economic Growth; Education; Environment; Environmental assessment; Environmental Economics; Environmental Management; Environmental risk; Farming; Fisheries; Fishing; Lakes; Land pollution; Livelihood; Markets; Mitigation; Multiplier; Perceptions; Quantitative analysis; Sustainable Development; Urban areas; Vulnerability; Water pollution; Water quality; Working capital; Zimbabwe; Climate change; Urbanisation; Zimbabwe; Peri-urban fisheries; Vulnerability; Water security
• ISSN: 1387-585X; 1573-2975
• DOI: 10.1007/s10668-017-0067-x

Peri-urban fisheries- and fishing-dependent livelihoods face multiscalar threats of climate change, water pollution, transforming land initiatives and volatile markets. The objectives of this study were to assess the livelihood strategies and assets as well as the vulnerability of peri-urban fisherfolks in Lakes Chivero and Manyame, Zimbabwe. Furthermore, the study investigated the perceptions of fisherfolks towards climate change and its effects on their livelihoods. We employed a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods based on the livelihood indicator approach to assess climate risks and the associated vulnerabilities of peri-urban fisherfolks for the period November 2015–January 2017. Results indicate that the livelihood of the majority of fisherfolks (92.3% in Lake Manyame and 97.1% in Lake Chivero) is predominantly based on fishing and farming. More than 60% of the fisherfolks have attained formal education with some even attaining university education. Most (87%) peri-urban fisherfolks in the Lake Chivero and Manyame are aware of climate change and attest to its negative effects on their fishing-dependent livelihoods. Synergistic and multiplier relations between climatic and non-climatic factors such as water quality and quantity deterioration, obsolete fishing equipment and low working capital are key drivers of vulnerability. Economic diversification is the main adaptive strategy adopted by fisherfolks to reduce vulnerability. Non-significant differences in livelihood strategies, fisherfolk responses and perceptions towards climate change are attributed to the contiguity of the two lakes. Application and implementation of similar climate mitigation and adaptive strategies is a potential solution to reduce current and future vulnerability of fisherfolks in contiguous peri-urban lakes.