Role of social workers in mitigating the effects of climate change in Makonde communal lands, Zimbabwe
List of Authors
  • Makhubele, Jabulani Calvin , Matlakala, Frans Koketso , Nyahunda, Louis

Keyword
  • Role, social workers, mitigation, climate change, Makonde communal lands

Abstract
  • Climate change is among the most vital environmental aspects that the human community is endowed with. Climate as a factor of life is particularly strong to low income rural communities whose livelihoods heavily depend on rain-fed subsistence agriculture like Makonde communal lands. The purpose of social work within the context of climate change is to enhance community expertise and empower members for participation in the decision-making process through all stages of risk assessment, rescue, planning and intervention for recovery and preparedness. This paper sought to explore the role of social workers in mitigating the effects of climate change in Makonde communal lands of Zimbabwe. The objectives of the study were to identify what roles if any are social workers playing in mitigating the effects of climate change and if not, what are the impediments in that sphere. A qualitative research approach was followed within the traditional framework of descriptive and exploratory designs. Simple random, purposive and snowballing sampling techniques were used to gather twenty-five participants in the study. The Thematic Content Analysis was followed to analyse data inductively. The study found that Social Workers are not directly involved in climate change interventions in the Makonde area owing it to lack of training on climate change issues. The study recommends that climate change falls within the purview of the social work practice therefore social workers must take the lead in supporting families and communities affected by climate change following the values, knowledge base, skills and principles of the profession.

Reference
  • 1. Achstatter, L. C. (2014). Climate Change: Threats to Social Welfare and Social Justice Requiring Social Work Intervention. 21st Century Social Justice, 1(1), 4.
    2. Alston, M. (2015). Social work, climate change and global cooperation. International Social Work, 58(3), 355-363.
    3. Babbie, E., & Mouton, J. (2012). The practice of social research. Southern Africa: OXFORD University Press.
    4. Brown, D., Chanakira, R. R., Chatiza, K., Dhliwayo, M., Dodman, D., Masiiwa, M., & Zvigadza, S. (2014). Climate change impacts, vulnerability and adaptation in Zimbabwe. International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) Climate Change Working Paper, 3.
    5. Clark, E.J. (2013). Social work and the environment. NASW News. Retrieved from http://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/news/2016/12/social-work-environment.asp.
    6. Creswell, J (2007). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches, Second Edition. SAGE Publications: Thousand Oaks.
    7. Cumby, T. (2016). Climate change and social work: Our roles and barriers to action.
    8. Dawson, B., and Catherine, K.M. (2002). Practical Research Methods. New Delhi: UBS. Publishers Distributors
    9. Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2011). The SAGE handbook of qualitative research. Sage.
    10. Dominelli, L. (2011). Climate change: social workers' roles and contributions to policy debates and interventions. International Journal Of Social Welfare, 20(4), 430-438.
    11. Dominelli, L. (2012). Green social work: From environmental crises to environmental justice. Polity.
    12. Dominelli, L. (2013). Environmental justice at the heart of social work practice: Greening the profession. International Journal Of Social Welfare, 22(4), 431-439. doi: 10.1111/ijsw.12024
    13. Friedman, M. B. (2010). Social work and social justice: the challenge of political pluralism. Advocacy in Social Work.
    14. Garbarino, J. (2017). Children and Families in the Social Environment: Modern Applications of Social Work. Routledge.
    15. Gray, M., Coates, J., & Hetherington, T. (Eds.). (2012). Environmental social work. Routledge.
    16. Guest, G., Namey, E. E., & Mitchell, M. L. (2012). Collecting qualitative data: A field manual for applied research. Sage.
    17. Ife, J. (2007). The new international agendas: What role for social work in centre for human rights education. Cartin University, Perth, Western Australia. IPCC. (2014a). Impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Source http://www.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/ar4-wg2.htm. Accessed on 10 December 2016.
    18. IPCC. (2014b). Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Core Writing Team, Pachauri, R.K and Reisinger, A. (eds.)]. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland, 104
    19. Kemp, S. P., & Palinkas, L. A. (2015). Strengthening the social response to the human impacts of environmental change. Grand Challenges for Social Work Initiative Working Paper, (5).
    20. Kothari, C.R. (2005). Research Methodology. Methods and Techniques. New Delhi Wiley: Eastern Limited.London: Sage.
    21. Mathende, T. L., & Nhapi, T. G. (2018). The Nexus of Globalisation and Global South Social Policy Crafting: Some Zimbabwean Perspectives. Journal of Pan African Studies, 12(1), 499-516.
    22. Mpambela, M., & Mabvurira, V. (2017). Effects of climate change and their indelible impact on social work profession in Zimbabwe. African Journal of Social Work, 7(2), 30-35.
    23. National Association of Social Workers [NASW]. (1999). Code of ethics of the National Association of Social Workers. Washington, DC. NASW Press.
    24. Neuman, W. L. 2006. Social research methods: qualitative and quantitative approaches. 6th ed. Boston: Pearson Education Inc.
    25. Sango, I. (2012). An investigation of communal farmers’ livelihoods and climate change challenges and opportunities in Makonde Rural District of Zimbabwe. PhD Thesis.: Unisa
    26. Unganai, L. (2012). Adaptation to climate change amongst agro pastoral systems: Case for Zimbabwe. Putnam.
    27. Zapf, M. K. (2009). Social work and the environment: Understanding people and place. Canadian Scholars’ Press.
    28. Sango, I., & Godwell, N. (2015). Climate change trends and environmental impacts in the Makonde Communal Lands, Zimbabwe. South African Journal of Science, 111(7-8), 1-6.