Local practices in coping with floods and droughts at basin scale

In view of the developing issue of climate change, floods and droughts may become more frequent. Climate change therefore has the potential to increase the frequency of extreme events in many regions by increasing flood risk in some regions of the world, increasing drought risk in others, and even increasing the occurrence of both floods and droughts in some areas such as middle Zambezi valley. Households that rely on agriculture in such fragile environments are particularly vulnerable to droughts and floods. Over time they have evolved certain coping mechanisms to reduce droughts and floods vulnerability. This book focuses on the impacts and coping mechanisms of the local communities to droughts and floods in the particular case of Kanyemba, a rural ward in middle Zambezi valley. Major issues affecting communities' livelihood are related to frequent floods and droughts. The impacts of floods and droughts in Kanyemba are threatening households' livelihood. Households have responded to these impacts through a number of coping mechanisms but limited resources constrain the capacity of community to counter floods and droughts impacts.