There is need to understand the implications of envisaged outcomes associated with adaptation projects, in particular, the ProSuLi’s water and garden projects in Malipati Ward. The changes that may arise from the projects can take different forms, be anticipated or unforeseen, and be positive or negative, directly or indirectly. The Futures Wheel approach, a participatory methodology, promotes collaborative assessment and learning between local beneficiaries and external researchers to explore project consequences, creating a visual framework to understand interrelationships between determinants of adaptation success and resulting changes. This framework enhances adaptive management, informing the design of participatory and evaluation frameworks understood by the community.

Research question

What are the risks, consequences, and challenges associated with adopting ProSuLi's water and garden projects in Malipati Ward, and how can they be addressed?

Importance of research question

The research questions this project is of utmost importance in the context of climate change adaptation in communities living adjacent to wildlife protected areas. This research project employs the Participatory Futures Wheel framework to identify and understand the risks and consequences of water and garden projects in Malipati Ward. The results of the project will help to prioritize the identified barriers and determine how they can be addressed through participatory learning. By addressing the risks and consequences of water and garden projects, the research will help communities living in Sengwe, Chiredzi District to better understand how to adapt to climate change and mitigate its effects on their livelihoods. The research findings can also be useful for policymakers and stakeholders to design effective adaptation strategies for similar communities.

Student profile

Peter Murambidzi holds an MSc degree in Climate Change & Sustainable Development from Bindura University of Science Education, a BSc degree in Geography & Environmental Studies from Midlands State University, and a BSc Special Honors in Monitoring and Evaluation from Lupane State University. From April 2021 to April 2022, he served as an MSc RP-PCP research fellow under the Promoting Sustainable Livelihoods (ProSuLi) project in Malipati Ward, Sengwe Communal Area, Chiredzi District. Additionally, he gained experience as a student intern at the Centre for Applied Social Sciences, University of Zimbabwe. Peter's research interests encompass various areas, including agriculture, food security, and climate change; climate change adaptation, mitigation, effects, and impacts; Gender and development; environmental and natural resource governance and conservation outcomes and development at the human-wildlife interface.

Experience and achievements

As a research fellow, Peter had the privilege of producing monthly and quarterly reports of different projects, highlighting their progress and achievements. Additionally, he was able to formulate the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plan, the risk management plan for the ProSuLi Project. Through this experience, he attained the Masters degree in climate change and sustainable development. Overall, this role was a valuable learning opportunity that allowed me to develop skills in project management and research, which will be useful in future roles.