Page 113 - IJPS-10-4

International Journal of
Population Studies Climate change-induced human mobility

severe tropical storm Chalane, storm Eloise, and droughts on peasant agriculture has shown that when confronted
that affected a large number of people since Zimbabwe by climatic challenges, farming households are forced to
attained its independence in 1980. The results reveal that send at least one member to urban areas to search for paid
Cyclone Idai triggered the population movement in the employment as a strategy for diversifying incomes and
Chimanimani area as it caused widespread destruction cushioning the family from stressed livelihoods (Maganga,
of homes, agriculture yields, infrastructure, and sources 2020). The second way was to cross the border to access
of income for the indigenous people. These results better opportunities. The bad tropical events, aided by the
were collaborated by studies that reveal that migration changes in temperature and unreliable rainfall patterns,
is increasingly becoming an adaptation strategy in the made farming more unreliable. This made the indigenous
context of climate change (Mupesa, 2023; Nyahunda & people of Chimanimani travel to Mozambique. Some
Tirivangasi, 2021a). started to do cross-border trading, while others went on
to find work in Mozambique (Crush et al., 2015). These
3.2. Short-term human mobility patterns in findings are consistent with IPCC’s observations. It is
Chimanimani expected that by 2050, both movement within a country

In the immediate aftermath of the cyclone, participants and mobility across borders will increase due to climate
revealed that people from the most affected areas such change. However, the number of people moving within a
as Ndima, Ngangu, and Kopa led to the massive outward country will be much higher than international migration.
migration of people to establish their businesses and This trend fits with the IPCC’s assessment that climate
their livelihoods in closer villages, and some went as far change impacts are particularly pronounced in African
as Chipinge, Mutare, and Chimanimani compared to countries. The IPCC also predicts that there will be a
other growth points. The observations by the participants notable increase in internal migration, with a shift from
were not wrong, as the survey carried out by IOM (2020) rural areas to cities (Amakrane et al., 2023).
in three of the affected villages revealed that everyone In other areas, people would go to Mozambique’s closest
managed to return to their original homes in two villages, towns to buy food. One participant had this to say:
while only 25% of the displaced returned to their original
homes in one village. The study also shows that 25% of the “Cyclone Idai destroyed my business; I had no choice
people who returned to that village had income-generating but to go to Chimoio to buy clothes for sale in Harare.
or livelihood opportunities. This proves two aspects: first, Prices of these goods are cheaper in Mozambique than in
families whose livelihoods were destroyed by the cyclone Zimbabwe. I cannot wait for farming right now; the rains
chose to relocate to other places or safer locations. The will come when my family has starved. At least I should
25% of those who returned had an incentive to return as do cross-border trading for now. I am not the only one.
they hoped to resuscitate their businesses and livelihood. Some traders come as far as Chipinge, and they go to
However, apart from this village and two other villages, all Mozambique for groceries and to buy goods for sale; this
is the only way to maintain my livelihoods.” (Participant
people returned to their homesteads. The report cited that A23, community member, male, talking cycles, Kopa,
they had returned permanently. This explains the assertion Chimanimani).
that people in Africa choose not to leave their place of birth
but rather engage in temporal mobility. “All my two sons are working outside the country in
Mozambique and South Africa. They will come back next
In the aftermath of Cyclone Idai and Charlene, people
in Chimanimani started to find ways to supplement and year when the farming season resumes. I hope we will
not experience another cyclone. They are not the only
diversify their livelihoods. They did this using two ways, ones; some villagers also left for Mutare and other cities,
narrated by one of the participants:
and others went to the plantations here in Chimanimani.
As for me, I have not been outside the country; I go However, it is just for short periods. They will return
and work in banana plantations for about 4 weeks, and home and help with weeding and harvesting” (Participant
then I have to come back and provide for my family A13, community member, female, talking cycles, Kopa,
with food and money I would have worked for. In cases Chimanimani).
where it takes too long, I send cash transfers. (Participant The cross-border trading and accessibility of
A2, community member, male, talking cycles, Chikukwa Mozambique from the border villages made it easy for the
Village, Chimanimani).
affected villagers to cross the border and rekindle their
These are just short-term mobility initiatives where livelihood. This is another case example of migration as
people sought to find other means of income, especially an adaptation strategy. In this case, short-term mobility
after sources of income had been destroyed. Research is indeed an adaptation strategy for the people in

Volume 10 Issue 4 (2024) 107 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.2983