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This article was published with support from Meedan’s Independent Media Response Fund.
HWANGE (The Citizen Bulletin) — Sixty-four-year-old Rebecca Ncube cups a handful of manure and leaves before spreading them over her bean crop at Kubudilila Nutrition Garden in Dinde Ward, Hwange district. She smiles as she inspects her lush green legumes.
“The rains were terrible this year; we barely planted due to the unpredictable weather,” Ncube says. “My sorghum crop, which I usually rely on because of the dryness of our region, barely saw the light of day. But I have found solace in irrigation,” she adds. “I expect to harvest about four buckets of beans and eight buckets of tomatoes.”
Ncube is among many rural farmers in Matabeleland North who are turning to irrigation to cope with increasingly erratic climate conditions. Recurrent droughts threaten their traditional livelihoods, prompting adaptation through solar-powered boreholes provided by the Kubudilila Irrigation Scheme, which enables year-round irrigation.
“I have three plots where I grow maize, beans, cabbage, butternuts, onions, and carrots,” says 42-year-old Sheila Nyoni, a widow, who has also benefited from the scheme. “With irrigation, we can plant all year round. This helps us generate income and ensure food security. Before, we only relied on rain, and our crops suffered.”
Hwange district, part of the country’s northeastern drylands, has long been vulnerable to climate change. Prolonged droughts and unpredictable rainfall have made rain-fed agriculture increasingly unsustainable, resulting in ongoing food insecurity for many farmers.
“This irrigation scheme has been a game-changer. We now produce food for consumption and for sale—something we couldn’t do before, as we relied solely on rain-fed agriculture. The solar-powered boreholes have made a real difference.”
Arnold Ndlovu, a farmer from Kasibo
However, Daniel Sithole, director of the environmental lobby group Green Shango Trust, warns that irrigation alone is not a silver-bullet solution.
“Modernizing water infrastructure is important, but we also need to cultivate drought-resilient crops like millet and sorghum,” Sithole explains. “Farmers should embrace conservation agriculture, with government support providing inputs for sustainable farming.”
While no easy solutions exist, the combination of farmer-friendly tools and opportunities for learning and networking could help build climate resilience, experts say.
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“Investment in irrigation efficiency can improve drought resilience,” says Lovemore Nyoni, World Vision Hwange Area Development Manager. “We’re promoting high-efficiency technologies like drip irrigation and LEPA sprinklers to reduce water loss and enhance conservation.”
The child-centered organization has established over 60 community irrigation and water-pipe schemes, enhancing climate-resilient water infrastructure and contributing to food security and healthier children.
The country’s National Irrigation Development Master Plan aims to rehabilitate and expand irrigation schemes in drought-prone areas like Hwange. Solar-powered schemes in Dinde and Kasibo are part of efforts to reduce reliance on unreliable rainfall and ensure year-round agricultural productivity.
However, challenges remain. Inadequate infrastructure, water shortages, and high costs of irrigation technology limit widespread adoption, especially among smallholder farmers.