WRC Project 2084: Insights into Indigenous Coping Strategies to - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

WRC Project 2084: Insights into Indigenous Coping Strategies to Drought for Drought Adaptation in Agriculture: The Southern Cape Scenario Bongani Ncube

Research Team • Prof A Lagardien Project Leader • Dr B Ncube Lead Researcher • Mr C Muanda • Ms D Cousins • Ms S Mnyaka • Ms P Amos

Reference Group • Dr GR Backeberg Water Research Commission • Dr S Mpandeli Water Research Commission • Dr A Holloway Stellenbosch University • Mr A Roux Western Cape Dept. Agriculture • Mr TS Newby National Earth Observation and Space • Mr HJ Oosthuizen Optimal Agricultural Business System • Prof RE Schulze University of KwaZulu Natal • Dr AJ Jordaan University of Free State • Prof C Volgel University of Pretoria • Prof S Walker University of Free State

Presentation Outline • Background • Project Objectives • Research Approach • Drought indicators • Strategies in cropping, mixed and livestock systems • Validation with extension • Farmer information sessions • Project outputs

Background & Rationale • Drought is normal and recurrent in South Africa • Past management strategies ‘top - down’ focusing on relief and recovery • More attention placed on scientific knowledge • Local indigenous people have been living, surviving & adapting to extreme climates for a long time – useful knowledge that needs to be captured • Scientific and indigenous knowledge need to be incorporated for effective drought risk adaptation • Project aimed to capture local coping strategies from a South African perspective

Project Objectives • Review international and South African literature on capturing indigenous knowledge (IK) around the experiences of drought in agriculture • Identify and capture any coping strategies (indigenous knowledge) adopted by communities in the agricultural sector for dealing with the 2009/10 drought and past drought experiences • Identify measures that would ensure the resilience of the agricultural sector to future droughts through up scaling good indigenous practices

Indigenous knowledge • Grenier (1998): ' the unique, traditional, local knowledge existing within and developed around the specific conditions of women and men indigenous to a particular geographic area.’ • Guchteneire et al. (2001): ‘traditional or local knowledge, that is embedded in the community and is unique to a given culture, location or society.’

Research Approach • Participatory research methods – guided by Greiner, 1998 and other recent studies • Semi-structured interviews – Targeted questions • Field Observations – All farmers • Focus group discussions – Farmer groups e.g. Zoar Community • 101 farmers consulted

Farmer perceptions • “The Karoo is a desert” • “To farm in the Karoo you have to believe in God” • “90 % of our problems are solved by water’’ • “We know our type of weather”

Season Indicators Weather indicators related to animal Environment related weather indicators behaviour   Terrapin tortoise ( Pelomedusa subrufa ) Very dry conditions, no grass in the veld indicate drought moving down the mountain indicates  drought, and when it goes up it indicates Water resources drying indicate drought rains. conditions   Game not breeding/lambing indicates Drying of fountains and low water tables impending drought in the boreholes indicate drought  Snakes coming down the mountains indicates conditions  drought Animals die due to water and food shortages  Presence of angulate tortoise ( Chersina (including donkeys)  angulate ) indicates thunderstorms Shortages of food for the animals and  humans indicates drought. Blue crane circling up high in the sky indicates  the thunderstorms Appearance of certain plant species  When the rain flower produces flowers the predicts drought  following day it will start to rain Very high day and night temperatures  A Bustard bird ( Eupodotis vigorsii ) in the veld is indicate drought  an indication of rain coming in few days Very dry winter, and strong dusty winds  Presence of small insects (the ashcar) indicates indicate drought  rain in 14 days Westerly winds indicate there will be  Calves running and playing in the fields drought  indicates rain in few days South westerly winds indicate there will be  Black ants collecting food to store indicates rain rain during the rainy season  in a few days Easterly winds indicate rain

Subsistence Crop Strategies Drought Impact Coping Strategies Adaptation Strategies   Sustainable water management Sustainable water management Water shortage through recycling kitchen water through recycling kitchen water   Perforated bottle/can dug into Perforated bottle/can dug into the the soil to provide soil moisture soil to provide soil moisture at root at root zone zone   Shade netting to reduce Shade netting to reduce evaporation evaporation   Loss of vegetable Creating own seed banks by Change in planting and yields retaining seed harvesting times   Planting different varieties of Using short season varieties  vegetable Introducing new seed varieties   Loss of crops due Picking and applying cow Soil fertility maintenance using to poor fertility dung into soil manure and compost   Applying household trash into Construction of permanent the soil to provide soil fertility compost heaps to make compost

Soil Moisture Conservation

Mixed Crop-Livestock Strategies Drought Impact Coping Strategies Adaptation Strategies   Water shortage Planting small areas Rainwater harvesting from the mountains   Irrigating small areas Water allocation- water rights review   Managing water through minimal Rain water harvesting from the mountains  irrigation to keep the orchards alive Construction of stock dams to conserve water  but not produce fruit Drilling boreholes  Planting cover crops to conserve soil moisture   Shortage of livestock Purchasing Lucerne from other Long term storage of Lucerne  feed farmers for supplementary feeding Planting saltbush, Prosopis and Agave as  Importing Lucerne from other areas alternative feed species Loss of animal condition   Destocking and leaving the breeding Changing the herd to drought resistant herd livestock breeds   Early marketing of livestock Changing systems to low input ostrich or game farming   Growing short season cash crops Setting up alternative low input system as Loss of fruit yields such as tomatoes and green mealies focal enterprise  to cushion the farmers Changing systems to livestock only   Maintaining small herds of livestock Changing to alternative high value crops to keep the farms running   Poor soil fertility Using manure to improve soil fertility Establishing crop rotations to maintain soil fertility

Lucerne Storage

Livestock Strategies Drought Impact Coping Strategies Adaptation Strategies   Land Grazing along the roadsides Creation of paddocks/camps to conserve  degradation/Shortage Migration with animals to areas grazing lands  of grazing with more grass Construction of spreader banks to  Importing fodder from other conserve moisture in the grazing lands  regions Planting Lucerne  Creating fodder banks  Planting saltbush, Prosopis and Agave as alternative feed species   Low survival/ Early marketing of livestock Breeding for survival during drought   productivity of livestock Destocking and leaving the Changing breeds e.g. from Boer goats to breeding herd more drought resistant Angora goats   Manipulating feeding strategies Changing systems to low input ostrich or to conserve the herd game farming   Increased loss of lambs Weaning around homesteads Use of trained shepherd dogs to protect due to predation livestock in the veld.   Low survival of animals Treating animals with natural Traditional animal disease management due to diseases plants methods

Livestock Strategies…cont. Drought Impact Coping Strategies Adaptation Strategies   Land Use of brushwood and Building weirs and sluits to degradation/Soil stones to conserve soil provide long term erosion erosion control   Water shortage Using donkey pulled Building silt traps/ sluits to due to siltation scoopers to rehabilitate prevent dam siltation  of dams dams Construction of contours across slopes to conserve soil Water shortages   Water management and Rainwater harvesting from water saving mountain slopes  Construction of stock dams for water storage  Windmill pumped boreholes   Invasive plant Cutting and burning alien Rehabilitation of cleared lands encroachment in vegetation by planting trees grazing lands

Validation with Extension

Validation with Extension • Project documented IK that is not recorded anywhere • Knowledge is very significant and useful • Need to share results with other organizations • Share information with farmers