Climate change and variability effects on inland fisheries: Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe.
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Abstract
African inland freshwater fisheries support the livelihoods of more than 12,3 million people, and
fish is the main or only source of animal protein for approximately 200 million people or 20% of
the African population. Several studies indicate that fish productivity and catch in freshwater
ecosystems in Africa are declining because of stressors such as overfishing, pollution, illegal
fishing, bad management, and climate change. Several researchers concur that climate change is
one of the most significant stressor threatening fisheries as it interacts with and amplifies existing
stressors. Fish resources are climate-sensitive, therefore, changes in climatic conditions,
particularly temperature and rainfall, alter the fish's chemical and physiological processes,
consequently affecting the livelihoods and food security of fishery-dependent communities.
Several empirical studies have been conducted to demonstrate the impacts of climate change and
variability on fish production in African inland freshwater fisheries, including Lake Kariba,
Zimbabwe. However, there is a paucity of information on the impacts of climate change and
variability on fishery-dependent communities on the shoreline of Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe. To
address the knowledge gap, this study investigated the effects of climate change on inland
freshwater fisheries in two major fishing districts found along the shoreline of Lake Kariba
namely Binga and Kariba/Nyaminyami Rural Districts in Zimbabwe. The study assessed the
vulnerability of small-scale fishers and fishery resources to the effects of climate change and the
fisher’s perceptions of climate change. In addition, the fisher’s adaptation strategies and the
barriers and limits to adaptation were identified. Lastly, the study recommended strategies that
can be adopted to build the resilience of freshwater fisheries to the probable effects of climate
change.
The study employed a mixed-method research approach to collect data. Primary data were
collected from small-scale fishers and key informants using a semi-structured questionnaire and
focus group discussions, and secondary data of climate variables were obtained from the
Meteorological Services Department of Zimbabwe. The data were subjected to different
statistical analyses using IBM SPSS Statistics 27 and Microsoft Excel.Study findings indicate
that small-scale fishers of Lake Kariba are aware of the climate change phenomenon. Most
fishers indicated that the temperatures have increased (83.8%), rainfall decreased (73.6%) and
the occurrence of extreme weather events such as droughts (56.9%) and floods (63.1%), has also
increased in their respective areas. Fishers believe that the changing climatic conditions have
adversely affected fish productivity and their fish catches, resulting in fishers employing several
strategies to adapt to the changing environment and declining fish catches. These strategies
include, but are not limited to, changing fishing gear, targeting new species, increasing fishing
effort and days, adopting alternative livelihood strategies and migrating to a different fishing
camp or village. A multinomial logistic regression model indicated that the fisher’s experience
positively and significantly influenced the adoption of all adaptation strategies except livelihood
diversification.
The Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) shows that fishing communities in the Kariba district
are more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change than those in the Binga district, due to their
lower adaptive capacity and marginalisation of fishing communities in the Kariba district. High
dependency on climate-sensitive resources as the main livelihoods increased the sensitivity of the
fishing communities to the impacts of climate change. Findings indicated that the fisher’s ability
to adapt to a changing environment and declining fisher resources was hindered by several
factors such as fishing regulations, a lack of access to basic services, and institutions, lack of
technologies, ecological limits and natural limits. Therefore, to build or strengthen the resilience
of the fisheries sector in Lake Kariba, fisheries managers, the government, agents of
development, non-governmental organisations and the resource users should ensure effective
lake co-management, increase fishers' access to early warning systems, ensure stakeholder
participation in decision-making processes, education and raise awareness, provide aid and basic
services, conduct fish stocks assessments and formulate pro-sustainable fisheries policies.
This study contributed empirical evidence to current debates in the literature on the impacts of
climate change on fishing communities, by enhancing an understanding of the characteristics and
determinants of fishing communities’ vulnerability, adaptation strategy and limits and barriers to
the adaptation of fishing communities to climate variability and change. The findings form the
basis for further detailed research into the vulnerability and adaptation of small-scale fishing
communities to climate variability and change. Collaborations between researchers, extension
officers, development agencies, and fishers to formulate climate adaptation strategies to promote
resilience in the fishery sector for sustainable fisheries for the future generation is encouraged.
Keywords: vulnerability, adaptation, resilience, small-scale fisheries, Lake Kariba.
Description
Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.