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SUMMARY Drought tolerance mechanisms of three taro landraces (Dumbe Lomfula (DL), KwaNgwanase (KW) and Umbumbulu (UM)) were evaluated under field conditions Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, over two summer seasons. Taro was slow to emerge (~ 49 days) and showed significant differences between landraces with respect to final emergence with DL never achieving a good crop stand. Growth (plant height, leaf number and LAI), VGI, SC and CCI were significantly lower under rainfed (RF) than irrigated...

Abstract The Buffalo River catchment in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, has limited water resource infrastructure development, and climate change is predicted to increase its water supply deficits by exacerbating water distribution inequalities. This study evaluates and optimises current climate change policy plans on the Buffalo River catchments water system to aid in assessing the sustainability of policies that address the aforementioned challenges. The water–energy–food (WEF) nexus...

Rain-fed maize production has significantly declined in Zimbabwe especially in semi-arid and arid areas causing food insecurity. Erratic rainfall received associated with mid-season dry spells largely contribute to low and variable maize yields. This study involved a survey of current farmers’ cropping practices, analyses of climatic data (daily rainfall and daily minimum and maximum temperature) of Hwedza station and simulation of maize yield response to climate change using DSSAT...

Southern Africa is highly vulnerable to drought because of its dependence on climate-sensitive sectors of agriculture, hydroenergy and fisheries. Recurring droughts continue to impact rural livelihoods and degrade the environment. Drought severity in southern Africa is exacerbated by poor levels of preparedness and low adaptive capacity. Whilst weather extremes and hazards are inevitable, the preparedness to manage such hazards determines their impact and whether they become disasters....

The Buffalo River (BR) catchment, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Due to the vast majority of the BR catchment’s water demands not being fully satisfied in recent years, studies investigating potential climate change impacts on the catchment's water supply availability are needed. The study’s objective was to therefore assess climate change-induced surface water availability (SWA) variations in the BR catchment from 2020 to 2100. To achieve this, the hydrologic Water Evaluation and Planning...

Abstract Sub‐Saharan Africa ( SSA ) faces twin challenges of water stress and food insecurity – challenges that are already pressing and are projected to grow. Sub‐Saharan Africa comprises 43 % arid and semi‐arid area, which is projected to increase due to climate change. Small‐scale, rainfed agriculture is the main livelihood source in arid and semi‐arid areas of SSA . Because rainfed agriculture constitutes more than 95 % of agricultural land use, water scarcity is a major limitation to...

Abstract Agricultural production in arid and semi-arid regions is particularly vulnerable to climate change, which, combined with projected food requirements, makes the sustainable management of water resources critical to ensure national and global food security. Using South Africa as an example, we map the spatial distribution of water use by seventeen major crops under current and future climate scenarios, and assess their sustainability in terms of water resources, using the water debt...

Early warning systems (EWS) facilitate societies’ preparedness and effective response capabilities to climate risks. Climate risks embody hazards, exposure, and vulnerability associated with a particular geographical area. Building an effective EWS requires consideration of the factors above to help people with coping mechanisms. The objective of this paper is to propose an approach that can enhance EWSs and ensure an effective climate risk resilience development. The paper focuses on the...

The increasing frequency and intensity of droughts and floods, coupled with increasing temperatures and declining rainfall totals, are exacerbating existing vulnerabilities in southern Africa. Agriculture is the most affected sector as 95% of cultivated area is rainfed. This review addressed trends in moisture stress and the impacts on crop production, highlighting adaptation possible strategies to ensure food security in southern Africa. Notable changes in rainfall patterns and deficiencies...

Rainfall and air temperature variability pose the greatest risk to environmental change. Past trends in rainfall and air temperature facilitate projecting future climate changes for informed policy responses. We used a combination of the normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) and observed data from 1968 to 2017 to assess changes in rainfall, moisture stress, and air temperature variability over time on bioclimatic regions of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Province, South Africa. Indicators used...

To improve the contribution of agriculture to food and nutrition security, average cereal yields in sub-Saharan Africa must reach 70%–80% of the water-limited yield potential in a sustainable manner. Within marginalized agricultural landscapes, intercropping cereals with legumes can contribute to sustainable intensification of cereal systems while contributing to nutritional security. Under increased climate variability, inefficient management of cereal–legume intercrop systems could cause...

Population increase is exacerbating resource insecurities due to increased demand for already depleted resources. Coupled with climate change, they are the main drivers of both intra- (rural-urban and urban-urban) and inter-migration (from one country to the other). We carried out a systematic review of literature, focusing on available options to ensure water and food security, as well as improve the socio-economic environment, highlighting the drivers of migration in southern Africa. The...

Building resilience to environmental change is an integral part of long-term climate adaptation planning and local policy. There is an increased understanding of the impact of climate change on global crop production however, little focus has been given to local adaptation pathways and rural smallholder community responses, especially regarding food security. It is becoming increasingly evident that local level decision-making plays a vital role in reducing vulnerability to environmental...

Livestock value chains globally are increasingly dualistic, with integrated market-leaders co-existing with comparatively disadvantaged small producers who, nevertheless, support rural livelihoods and food access, and can also contribute to more resilient supply chains. The South African broiler value chain provides a highly illustrative case study. The purpose of this study is to identify potential leverage points for policy intervention to support small and emerging producers in the South...

Climate change is a complex and cross-cutting problem that needs an integrated and transformative systems approach to respond to the challenge. Current sectoral approaches to climate change adaptation initiatives often create imbalances and retard sustainable development. Regional and international literature on climate change adaptation opportunities and challenges applicable to southern Africa from a water-energy-food (WEF) nexus perspective was reviewed. Specifically, this review...

Knowing the spatial and temporal suitability of neglected and underutilised crop species (NUS) is important for fitting them into marginal production areas and cropping systems under climate change. The current study used climate change scenarios to map the future distribution of selected NUS, namely, sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), amaranth (Amaranthus) and taro (Colocasia esculenta) in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province, South Africa. The future distribution of NUS was...