When rainfall becomes unreliable, the effects are felt far beyond the fields of farmers. In Hwange, where wildlife, livestock and surrounding communities depend on the same landscape, changing weather patterns raise difficult questions about the future of water.

The effects of drought and climate variability have made water security an important concern in Zimbabwe, particularly in areas such as Hwange, where the survival of wildlife is closely tied to the availability of water.
The influence of El Niño has brought these concerns into sharper focus. Associated with changes in rainfall patterns across southern Africa, El Niño can contribute to below-normal rainfall and drought conditions, placing additional pressure on already vulnerable water resources.
For Hwange, the implications extend beyond human settlements. Water availability influences wildlife movements, vegetation, animal health and the ability of surrounding communities to sustain their livelihoods.

It was against this wider environmental concern that more than 100 people gathered in Hwange from 12 to 15 October for discussions on water availability and the effects of climate change across the landscape.
The gathering brought together farmers, representatives of the Forestry Commission and the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), non-governmental organisations and researchers.

Rather than looking at climate change as an isolated environmental issue, the discussions considered how changing conditions could affect the relationship between people, wildlife and the natural resources they share.

Supported by French funding, the research initiative involved scientists from French research institutions IRD and CIRAD working alongside their Zimbabwean partners.
The workshops developed three main research areas;ecology, animal health and interactions between the national park and surrounding communities.
Each provides a different perspective on the pressures facing Hwange.
Ecological research helps explain how environmental changes affect the natural systems that support wildlife. Animal health examines the relationship between changing environmental conditions and the wellbeing of different species, while research into parkperiphery interactions considers how conservation activities connect with the lives of communities outside protected areas.

The discussions were also an opportunity for researchers to share broader findings with local stakeholders who had participated in the workshops and to gain a better understanding of the socio-economic and environmental circumstances surrounding the park.

As for the farmers living around Hwange, rainfall and water availability are directly connected to agricultural production and household livelihoods.Also to conservation authorities, the same resources are essential to maintaining healthy wildlife populations and ecosystems.