A gendered lens to self-evaluated and actual climate change knowledge

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ORIGINAL ARTICLE

A gendered lens to self-evaluated and actual climate change knowledge Batanai Sammie 1 & Elvis Mupfiga 1 & Liboster Mwadzingeni 2 & Tavengwa Chitata 1,3 & Raymond Mugandani 1 Accepted: 16 October 2020 # AESS 2020

Abstract Gender-sensitive and gender-responsive approaches are important to increase adaptive capacity in a changing climate given the gendered nature of exposure levels to climate shocks. Nonetheless, knowledge and perception of the public to climate change influence behavioural intention to adapt. While literature is replete with public perception and adaptation strategies to climate change, there is a dearth of information exploring the influence of gender on climate change knowledge. This paper employs quantitative and qualitative data to examine the influence of gender on knowledge in climate trends in Beitbridge Rural District, Zimbabwe, using questionnaire surveys. This survey tool consisted of demographic questions on gender and other variables. Our results indicate that compared to women, actual knowledge of trends in selected variables of climate change was higher among men. Furthermore, male respondents had higher self-evaluated knowledge on climate trends compared to female participants. We recommend gender disaggregated data in the vulnerability and adaptation assessments and the education, training and awareness sections of the National Communications to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change. Keywords Gender . Beitbridge . Zimbabwe . Vulnerability . Adaptation

Introduction The warming of the climate system is now undisputable (Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa 2014; IPCC 2014a; Raab 2019). Climate change indicators such as changing precipitation patterns, increase in global average temperature and the changes in frequency and severity of extreme weather events such as droughts, floods and cyclones are already evident globally (Kristjanson et al. 2017) and specifically in subSaharan Africa (SSA) (Kotir 2011). Globally, climate change poses serious threats to the attainment of all Sustainable Development Goals (Getvoldsen et al. 2018). Specifically, a decline in rainfall has been observed by several authors in Zimbabwe (Unganai 1996;Chamaille-

* Raymond Mugandani [email protected] 1

Department of Land and Water Resources Management, Midlands State University, Gweru, Zimbabwe

2

Department of Agronomy and Rural Development, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban, South Africa

3

Department of Geography, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK

Jammes et al. 2007; Tadross et al. 2009; Dube and Phiri 2013). This has been corroborated by perceptual studies (Kupika et al. 2019). A rise in the frequency and severity of dry spells has also been observed (Mutekwa 2009; Rurinda et al. 2014; Government of Zimbabwe 2017; UNDP 2017). With reference to Beitbridge, Mupangwa et al. (2011) observed an increase in dry spell occurrence during the peak rainfall season. Zimbabwe is also becoming warmer (Dube and Phiri 2013; Kupika et al. 2019). Several a