An assesement of socio-economic impacts of drought. A Case of Rushinga District Ward 1 · Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Author

Mudadirwa, Edgar

Title

An assesement of socio-economic impacts of drought. A Case of Rushinga District Ward 1

Abstract

This study evaluates the socioeconomic consequences of the past 5 years to current years 2023/24 season and identifies coping, preparing, and reaction methods used in the Rushinga District ward 1 in Zimbabwe. The Rushinga District is prone to drought, with an unpredictable rainfall pattern marked by dry spells. Droughts are becoming increasingly difficult for households to cope with it. Understanding how rural families cope during droughts is critical for determining how to best execute micro-level activities to support households as part of risk management and resilience building. The study aimed to assess the economic impacts of drought on the livelihoods of rural communities of Ward 1 Rushinga District and to identify coping strategies that were employed by the communities to reduce the devastating economic impacts of drought on livelihoods of communities. The guiding objectives of the study were to evaluate the causes of drought, to evaluate the social and economic impact of drought on rural areas and to identify and suggest drought mitigation techniques to decrease economic consequences on communities in Rushinga District Ward. 1 A descriptive analysis was undertaken to define households based on their demographics, household income and assets, socioeconomic implications of the drought, household-based coping methods, livelihood-based coping strategies, and readiness and reaction mechanisms. The research findings demonstrated that the drought had a significant negative impact on the socio-economic lifestyle of the community. The researcher recommended that there is need to prepare households for drought risk reduction through training and sensitization, so that they can cope with the effects of drought. The study also recommends enhancing households' absorptive capacities to increase household stability during droughts by improving awareness of disaster risk management, access to informal safety nets, and savings.

Date

MAY 2024

Publisher

BUSE

Keywords

Drought coping mechanisms, social and economic impact of drought on rural areas,

Supervisor

Dr N Chanza