Mwenezi farmers struggle as brutal heat scorches crops: Irrigation scheme offers lifeline

THE sun beats down mercilessly on Mwenezi District, Masvingo Province. Once a canvas of green maize stalks, the land is now a cracked and thirsty expanse.

Mr Africa Siziba, a 45-year-old farmer from Jawanda Village under Chief Mawarire in Ward 4 of Mwenezi East, stands with a heavy heart, watching his crops wilt under the relentless glare.

The wind whispers not of rain, but carries a scorching dryness that steals the life from the withering plants. The harsh reality of climate change is etched upon this landscape. It’s devastating effects on livelihoods, health, water and food security are no longer distant threats — they are a brutal present. Mwenezi, like other districts in Masvingo Province, lies in natural regions four and five, making it particularly vulnerable. The last two decades have seen some of the harshest consequences of climate change here, with El Nino’s impact on crop yields this year being a stark example.