Nesia Mhaka in Mbire
Farmers in Ecological Regions four and five have been urged to practice rain water harvesting to improve better yields as well as a mitigatory measure against climate change which has seen these areas receiving erratic rainfall.
Rainwater harvesting is the accumulation and storage of rainwater for reuse on-site rather than allowing it to runoff.
Rainfall patterns in the country used to be very encouraging and equality empowering. Now days, the situation is no longer the same as people are now experienced suffocating dry spells with uncertainties on when exactly the rains would come.
Addressing farmers in Mbire yesterday, senior researcher of Southern African Research and Documentation Centre Mr Kumbirai Nhongo said farmers in drought prone areas have to implore new farming ways to preserve moisture to improve food productivity in the country.
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“Due to sporadic rainfall that the country is receiving farmers have to invest more in projects such as water harvest through constructing of small individuals dams or weirs.
“If by any chance the rain happens to come they are often heavy characterised by violent floods and runoffs that are destructive as well as life threatening.
“These kinds of rainfall patterns can be successfully utilised in the form of rain-water harvesting for sustainable climate change adaptation and mitigation,” he said.
He advised practice conservative farming methods such as water harvesting to produce better yields.
– HERALD
