Nkovukeni Youth Employment Service (YES) Youth CCA Workshop Day 1
Date: 25 June 2024
Venue: Nkovukeni Hub
Attendees: YES youth; 17 female, 15 male, eldest 28, youngest 18
Introduction
The 2024/2025 YES intake has started their workplace internship where they are supposed to get
real work experience. Of the 30 odd youth for this round, about 8 are from Nkovukeni with the rest
coming from neighbouring villages in Mvutshana, Mazambane and others. The youth have
organized themselves transport that drop and pick them up by the lake every workday and pay
R350 per personfor the month. In the Climate Change Base Adaptation (CCbA) project headed
by the Wild Trust, the youth will be championing the climate change adaptation work where they
will be working with local farmers. This means that the youth group must be wellinformed on
climate change in general and what this means for individual households in Nkovukeni.
Furthermore, they willbe responsible for helping households experiment with various practices
in their attempts to increasing resilience to the changing weather patterns.
This workshop was a process for the young people to think through climate and climate change,
the processof breaking down impacts’changes have on everyday lives. For Nkovukeni;
ecotourism, shing, crops production in both vegetables and staples, craft are major livelihood
activities. People mostly grow food in wetlands, oodplains and gardensfor immediate
household consumption. In wetlands and oodplains there is some water readily available for
production and that is a great pull factor as water is a problem up the hill in their home gardens.
Plots of vegetables such as spinach, beetroots, cabbage, carrots, green peppers ect are grown in
raised beds with waterstanding in the pathways.Crops in raised beds easily access water and
nutrients from allthe deposits happen in this part of the wetland. Garden production in the
households is limited to fenced o sizes of about 200m ² where sometimes half the plot is worked
due to water issues. Fishing is a big part of livelihoods predominately for men but women as well,
whereboth contractand subsistence shing are done. On top of shing, there is harvesting of
mussels, crab and a range of other water species. Grasses and other material for craft also grow
along the edges of the lakes that women mainly harvest for craft and mats sold to tourists and
visitors to the area’s beautiful scenery and pristine nature.
Continuously increasing temperatures and erratic rains because of climate change have resulted
in adverse impacts on the livelihoods and ultimately food security. Unplanned and poorly
managed cropping in the wetlands and oodplains continue to deterioratethe ecosystem
services nature provides while gum plantationsthreaten underground water sources and
tributaries feeding livelihood underpinning lakes. Poor yields in elds and garden put pressure on
marine ecosystems thus resulting in excessive shing and harvestingof marine species. Gum
plantationsand alien species continue to “drain”water o the lakes resulting in reducing water
volumes and life in water, surrounding life is also aected by this resulting in the deterioration of
what was one pristine beauty.
Climate change
When asked about climate change, the group was quick to say that this refers to the changes in
weather patterns over years. These changescan be seen in the increasing temperatures year after
years with winters warming up then what they usually were. They also referred to unprecedented
severe oods and storms occurring out of the summer season as well more severe and extended
periods of droughts. They attributed changes in climate to heavy human activities that produces
more CO₂ into the atmosphere thus causing a warming eect on the planted. This warming eect
causes ice to melt, resulting in rising sea levels while in other parts of the world extended
droughts sees water scarcity, less rains with other knock-on eects on human lives. the group is
aware and afraid that current impacts from climate change will be intensifying more in the future
and people need to relook at their interaction with the environment to curb these negative
impacts. They are certain that the costs of living will continue to increase as means of production
for necessities continue to increase and this will havea fatal impact on the poor.
Table 1: Past, present, future
Past
Present
Future
Farmers and people could
plan around yearly weather
Weather become
unpredictable
Unpredictability will increase
More crop variety
Increased temperatures
Less crop variety
More predictable weather
Unprecedented oods
More ash oods
Droughts were not as bad
Extended drought periods
Even longer drought periods
Food was almost in
abundance
Poor yields and crop quality
No yields leading to hunger
Although water in lakes may
have been decreasing but
not as fast
Decreasing water volume in
lakes
Gum will continue drain water
as more people grow it to
make a living
Large herd sizes
Poor grazing land growth and
rehabilitation, smaller herd
sizes
Poor rehabilitation and
grazing, even smaller herd
sizes
Less diseasesand pests on
livestock and crops
Increased pests and diseases
on crops and livestock
Infestation of diseases and
increased pests, increased
livestock mortality
High crop diversity, various
cropsgrown e.g. maize and
beans with imino,
pumpkin, ibhece ect
Stop growing millet, sorghum,
maize already hard to grow,
low crop diversity
Hard time growing staple
crops e.g.maize, even crop
diversity
Less prevalence of storms
and their severity
Destruction of houses by
storms
Moresever storms, like what
we saw on the 2ndof June
2024 in Nkovukeni
Drinking water scarcity, no
rains
Further struggles for water
access
Prevalence of wildres
Morewildres as temperature
increases
Not as many gum
plantations
Increased gum plantations
Seasonal mapping
Changes in climate happen over time; decades, as was the case from the scientic evident from
the South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON). The network clearly states that
that temperatures have increases and rain more unpredictable due to human activity. Signicant
changes in land use have implication for the amount CO₂ released into the atmosphere thus
causing a greenhouse warming eect. This increases the incidence and severity of storms,
tornadoes and droughts thatwere bound to happen. The moreheat we produces stretches and
intensies hot periods, with warmer oceans fuelling even more the severity of storms and
tornadoes. With livelihoods entirely dependant on yearly temperatures and rainfall distribution,
we asked the group to split into two groups, using kebab sticks and ip chart paper, draw a graph
showing temperature and rain across the year.
Figure 1: YES Youth doing and presenting their seasonal maps
Reality impact maps
After a discussion on what the future looks like in terms of impacts from increased temperatures
and increased rainfall variability, the group was tasked to create a mind map of social, economic
and environmental impacts. The main here was to paint a picture of impactsand problems we
are headed for if we do not take the issue of climate change more seriously.
Social impact-the struggle for food will get even harder as more and more people will not be able
to grow their own food due to water shortages, no rains, droughts with crops and livestock prone
to diseases and pests. The inability to produce food will always mean the unavailability of
nutritious food and this will put a lot of pressure on pension and child support grants as less food
can be purchased with the same amount of money. Lessoptions in term s of food choices directly
results in poor nutrition and this will see a rise in diseases and hospital admission as those with
lifelong sicknesses will be a great risk.
This will also see crime shoot up and more and more people struggle to survive and may resort to
theft as a quick response. Livestock theft may see an increasewith livestock stolen while
travelling long distances in search for food. Those wanting tosell of their livestock may not fetch
good price due to the condition of the animals and economic viability of the next person keeping
them.
Economical impact-the other hand, increased growing of gum will drain the lakes and
surrounding water sources dry thus impacting on the green and freshness of the area thus slowly
deteriorating the scenery and tourism viability. This will see a huge knock in local homestays, tour
guides, local boat cruise driversand so on. Wewill also see a loss of formal employment from
nearby lodges and eateries.Continuous overshing will result in the loss of contract shing and
local selling, already we can see that sh stock have reduced.
Environmental impact-droughts and oods coupled withhuman activity have an impact on
biodiversity of both animal and plant life. Alien species that people grow for income threaten to
outcompete indigenous crops changing our landscape as we know it. Overgrazing and poor
rehabilitation of environment may see soil erosion, compaction and increasesseverity in cases
of res. The destruction of mangroves and other important components in the environment
means this important ecosystem servicearea will no longer lter our water, clean ourair and
provide other ecological services.
Figure 2: Mind mapping by the group
Life cannot go on “business as usual”, the whole world needs to change and more concerted into
reducing the use of fossil fuels and switching to solar energy.Here in Nkovukeni solar energy is
being used in somehouseholds mainly for lighting. A local company in Manguzi provide solar
panels and batteries that individual buy and connectin their houses.More eorts in training to
provide this service and have accredited personnel to installsolar panels may go a long way.
Carbon credits and levies were also mentioned as measure to curb the production of CO₂ into
the atmosphere.
In the local area, environmental awareness is key to making people appreciate and not only
maintain but improve the natural environment. Planting of trees, grazing management, alien
clearing, and soil management are important for the sustainability of the natural environment and
for ecosystem services. At household level, households can improve RWH eorts through tanks,
diversion ditches into gardens and the use of grey water.
CRA practices
The presentation of practices categorised into the 5 nger principles was building up on what the
group had already proposed as solutions. The presentation looked at the ve important aspects
to be considered in eorts to increasing resilience: good water, soil and crops management, soil
fertility aswell as management of livestock and the general environment. upon presentation of
practices, the group was asked what other practicesthey would include and like to try out as
responses to climate change in the immediate household. Practices mentioned were, tower
garden, deep trenches, drip kits, tunnels, mulching, rainwater harvesting jojo tanks/underground
water tanks. Individuals were then asked how they selected thosepractices as opposed to the
other one they didn’t choose and the answers were, water eiciency or helping withharvesting
water as water is a big challenge in the area, safety from roaming livestock was the other. Tunnels
would allow households to produce food allyear round and crops would be safe from livestock
roaming free. They also wanted long term benecial practices where you can benet for years to
come like deep trenches.
Table 2: Matrix ranking
Criteria
Access to
water/water
eiciency
Producing
all year
round
Protection
from
livestock
Long term
benets/fertility
Total
RWH jojo’s
3
3
3
3
12
Tower
garden
3
3
1
2
9
Drip kits
3
3
3
3
12
Tunnels
3
3
3
3
12
Deep
trenches
2
3
3
3
11
1-low/easy/poor
2-medium/average
3-high/diicult/expensive
CRA demonstrations
TrenchBed – This trench bed was demonstrated on the Enkovukeni Community HUB, this is a
location which is accessible to every member in the community thus putting this practice to
everyone it caught itseyeson. Whoever who want to learn about this trench bed can come and
have the skills to do it in their homestead assisted by the Hub sta. This trench bed was made to
be one meter deep and two meters long, this was because there was limited space to prolong it
as the space given had hidden water pipes andsewage pipes underneath, not wanting to risk
damaging it we made the trench twometers long. Tins and bones which are used it the foundation
of the trench were not collected by the Hubstu; therefore, the rst layerwas the dry manure
which were leaves from the fallen trees, following by the soil.
Figure 3: Nqobile (MDF) facilitating deep trench demonstration in the newly established hub demonstration garden
After the second layer (Soil) we applied cattle manure which havebeen already preparedtwo
days ago, it was collected on the neighboring household, about 8wheelbarrows of cattle manure
was at place ready to be used. Afterthat its dry manure,soil and cattle manure. The cycle
continues until the trench is lled up and ready to design a bed, then three bags of cattle manure
was mixed with sand to create the topsoil and the bed was designed. Crop we mixed in the bed,
red lettuce, kale, onion, cabbage, green paper, mustard and some herbs.
Tower Garden -This tower garden was placed at the back yard at the Enkovukeni community hub,
it was demonstrated at the same day after the trench bed demonstration. A twometers net which
has already been netted was used, it meant to have sides with 0.5 meter is length, this is because
the soil of Enkovukeni are sandy soils which has loose particles, twometers will make the 80%
shade net to hold the soil. Four wood logsfrom the fallen trees wereused as the four poles to
stand the tower.Three wheelbarrowsof cattle manure weremixed with sand to be bagged in the
net.
A column of gravel stone was carefully made as the soil mixedwith manure was bagged inside
the net. This gravel column is designed to distribute water to all the ends of the net and acts as a
lter when using grey water. It was emphasized in the workshop and the demonstration site that,
when using grey water, it should rst be kept in the drums where wood ash is to be applied water
should be left and waited for about a week before it can be used. This is done to get rid of the bad
smell of water and the soup as it is a detergent and can be harmful to the crops if used raw. Crops
planted were red Lettice, Onions, Kale, Mustard and herbs.
Figure 4: Tower garden and trench demonstrations planted with seedlings
Monitoring on previously planted tower gardens
Fortunate volunteer farmers spared from the devastating storm are already enjoying fresh greens
from their tower gardens. They were very much delighted witnessing vegetablesin this newly
introduced practice wherethey are using greywater. They have also put concerted eorts into
revamping fencing to keep livestock away using branches that are closely packed. Below are
pictures from Elizabeth Ngubane and Voilet Sibiya’s tower gardens.
Figure 5: Elizabeth Ngubane, then and now
Figure 6: Voilet Sibiya's tower garden partly damaged by the storm