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
WRC Project 2084: Insights into Indigenous Coping Strategies to Drought for Drought Adaptation in Agriculture: The Southern Cape Scenario
Bongani Ncube
Water Research Commission
Stellenbosch University
Western Cape Dept. Agriculture
National Earth Observation and Space
University of Free State
University of Free State
capturing indigenous knowledge (IK) around the experiences of drought in agriculture
knowledge) adopted by communities in the agricultural sector for dealing with the 2009/10 drought and past drought experiences
agricultural sector to future droughts through up scaling good indigenous practices
Season Indicators
Weather indicators related to animal behaviour Environment related weather indicators
Terrapin tortoise (Pelomedusa subrufa) moving down the mountain indicates drought, and when it goes up it indicates rains. Game not breeding/lambing indicates impending drought Snakes coming down the mountains indicates drought Presence
angulate tortoise (Chersina angulate) indicates thunderstorms Blue crane circling up high in the sky indicates the thunderstorms When the rain flower produces flowers the following day it will start to rain A Bustard bird (Eupodotis vigorsii) in the veld is an indication of rain coming in few days Presence of small insects (the ashcar) indicates rain in 14 days Calves running and playing in the fields indicates rain in few days Black ants collecting food to store indicates rain in a few days Very dry conditions, no grass in the veld indicate drought Water resources drying indicate drought conditions Drying of fountains and low water tables in the boreholes indicate drought conditions Animals die due to water and food shortages (including donkeys) Shortages of food for the animals and humans indicates drought. Appearance of certain plant species predicts drought Very high day and night temperatures indicate drought Very dry winter, and strong dusty winds indicate drought Westerly winds indicate there will be drought South westerly winds indicate there will be rain during the rainy season Easterly winds indicate rain
Drought Impact Coping Strategies Adaptation Strategies
Water shortage Sustainable water management through recycling kitchen water Perforated bottle/can dug into the soil to provide soil moisture at root zone Shade netting to reduce evaporation Sustainable water management through recycling kitchen water Perforated bottle/can dug into the soil to provide soil moisture at root zone Shade netting to reduce evaporation
Loss of vegetable yields Creating own seed banks by retaining seed Planting different varieties of vegetable Change in planting and harvesting times Using short season varieties Introducing new seed varieties Loss of crops due to poor fertility Picking and applying cow dung into soil Applying household trash into the soil to provide soil fertility Soil fertility maintenance using manure and compost Construction of permanent compost heaps to make compost
Drought Impact Coping Strategies Adaptation Strategies
Water shortage Planting small areas Irrigating small areas Managing water through minimal irrigation to keep the orchards alive but not produce fruit Rainwater harvesting from the mountains Water allocation- water rights review Rain water harvesting from the mountains Construction of stock dams to conserve water Drilling boreholes Planting cover crops to conserve soil moisture Shortage of livestock feed Purchasing Lucerne from other farmers for supplementary feeding Importing Lucerne from other areas Long term storage of Lucerne Planting saltbush, Prosopis and Agave as alternative feed species Loss of animal condition Destocking and leaving the breeding herd Early marketing of livestock Changing the herd to drought resistant livestock breeds Changing systems to low input ostrich or game farming Loss of fruit yields Growing short season cash crops such as tomatoes and green mealies to cushion the farmers Maintaining small herds of livestock to keep the farms running Setting up alternative low input system as focal enterprise Changing systems to livestock only Changing to alternative high value crops Poor soil fertility Using manure to improve soil fertility Establishing crop rotations to maintain soil fertility
Drought Impact Coping Strategies Adaptation Strategies
Land degradation/Shortage
Grazing along the roadsides Migration with animals to areas with more grass Importing fodder from other regions Creation of paddocks/camps to conserve grazing lands Construction of spreader banks to conserve moisture in the grazing lands Planting Lucerne Creating fodder banks Planting saltbush, Prosopis and Agave as alternative feed species Low survival/ productivity of livestock Early marketing of livestock Destocking and leaving the breeding herd Manipulating feeding strategies to conserve the herd Breeding for survival during drought Changing breeds e.g. from Boer goats to more drought resistant Angora goats Changing systems to low input ostrich or game farming Increased loss of lambs due to predation Weaning around homesteads Use of trained shepherd dogs to protect livestock in the veld. Low survival of animals due to diseases Treating animals with natural plants Traditional animal disease management methods
Drought Impact Coping Strategies Adaptation Strategies
Land degradation/Soil erosion Use of brushwood and stones to conserve soil Building weirs and sluits to provide long term erosion control Water shortage due to siltation
Using donkey pulled scoopers to rehabilitate dams Building silt traps/ sluits to prevent dam siltation Construction of contours across slopes to conserve soil Water shortages Water management and water saving Rainwater harvesting from mountain slopes Construction of stock dams for water storage Windmill pumped boreholes Invasive plant encroachment in grazing lands Cutting and burning alien vegetation Rehabilitation of cleared lands by planting trees