Adapting to climate change: Experiences of elderly female household heads in Domboshava communal lands

Abstract

The heavy reliance of elderly women on rain-fed agriculture in the context of a changing climate, combined with restrictive gendered power relations, places them in a precarious position. This ethnography, conducted in Gutsa village, Domboshava communal lands in Zimbabwe, asked: How do elderly female household heads make sense of, respond to, and organize their livelihoods in the wake of climate change? Findings show that adaptation capacity among these elderly women varies, largely based on access to vegetable gardens with reliable water, credit, and agricultural inputs. In addition, the impacts of climate change are exacerbated by other stressors such as poor market returns, the introduction of motorized water pumps, and the effects of the state-led Fast Track Land Reform Programme which was launched in 2000. These forces have compelled elderly women to shift from agro-based to non-farm-based livelihoods. These findings demonstrate the need for policies that support water access, informal markets, and the inclusion of elderly women’s voices in climate governance.