| Abstract |
This study sought to investigate the susceptibility of rural communities in the Barotse Floodplains Catchment to climate change impacts on rural water supply and identify adaptation options to ensure sustainable rural water supply in a changing climate. The data was collected from three villages namely Nakanya, Lealui and Malengwa villages in Mongu District. The study adopted the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) to assess the susceptibility of rural communities to climate change impacts. The findings of the study show that Nakanya Village is the most vulnerable, having recorded an SVI score of 0.52 followed by Lealui village with an SVI score of 0.45 and finally Malengwa village with an SVI score of 0.39. The study highlights risks associated with climatic hazards affecting rural water supply and the various adaptation strategies being implemented by various stakeholders to minimise the adverse effects of climate change impacts on water supply. The adaptation strategies include digging and deepening wells, traveling longer distances to fetch water, limiting water usage, borehole drilling and construction of water supply mini schemes. The study identified adaptation options that can enhance the local communities’ resilience against climate change impacts on water supply. These include household clustering, recharge mapping and riverbank infiltration. From the findings of the study, it can be concluded that development of climate change resilient water infrastructure is critical in enhancing the rural communities’ resilience against the impacts of climate change on water supply systems. |
? |
