8 May 2014: Farmers in Western Zambia are planting different crops as an adaptation strategy to unpredictable seasonal flooding, according to a working paper by Bioversity International, ‘Assessment of agrobiodiversity resources in the Barotse floodplain, Zambia.’ Bioversity International conducted the study as part of the CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems (AAS), which aims to improve the livelihoods of rural communities through participatory action research.

Bioversity International assessed the uses, status and trends of local biodiversity for agriculture and food security in the Barotse Floodplain, an area that has experienced climate-induced changes in its weather patterns. Changes have included increasingly frequent extreme weather events and less predictable flood patterns, which have adversely effected biodiversity management, food security and local livelihoods.

As part of the assessment, Bioversity International documents local people’s collection, cultivation and consumption of fish, plant, mushroom and insect species as well as their livestock management. Farmers report experiencing low yields from major cultivated crops, such as cassava, maize, millet, rice and sorghum. Farmers also describe adaption actions, such as cultivating rice instead of maize in areas with uncertain flooding. They have also begun planting different rice varieties in different areas of the floodplain; for instance, in shallow water, farmers have planted Zawa rice while they have planted Supa rice varieties in deeper water.

The paper addresses, inter alia: agriculture, land and soil types and production systems in the Barotse Floodplain; crops, including the seed sector; indigenous materials collected from the wild, including plants and forest products; fish resources, including capture fisheries and aquaculture; livestock resources; dietary diversity; and indigenous and local knowledge on management systems.

AAS is a partnership among three CGIAR centers: Bioversity International, WorldFish and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). In the future, Bioversity International will work with farmers to identify threatened crops and explore ways to improve productivity, such as through access to improved seeds, enhancing soil nutrients and weed control measures. WorldFish, Caritas-Mongu and Catholic Relief Services also participated in the research. [Bioversity International Press Release] [Publication: Assessment of Agrobiodiversity Resources in the Barotse Flood Plain, Zambia]