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Climate change poses significant risks to rural livelihoods in semi-arid regions such as Bikita District, Zimbabwe, where recurrent droughts, erratic rainfall, rising temperatures, and water scarcity undermine food security and socio-economic stability. This study examines the climate-related risks faced by rural households, identifies the coping and adaptation strategies they employ, and assesses the effectiveness and sustainability of these responses. A qualitative case study design, guided by the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework, was adopted. Data were collected through in-depth interviews (n = 30), focus group discussions (two groups), and direct observations involving households, traditional leaders, and local stakeholders. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns in risks, coping strategies, and institutional constraints. The findings show that households employ diverse strategies, including crop diversification, cultivation of drought-resistant small grains, water harvesting, livestock downsizing, livelihood diversification, horticulture, and reliance on social networks. However, many of these responses remain short-term coping mechanisms rather than sustainable adaptation strategies. Structural barriers, including limited access to credit, weak extension services, poor infrastructure, and inadequate market systems, constrain their effectiveness. In addition, some practices, including deforestation and over-reliance on food aid, are maladaptive, providing immediate relief while undermining long-term resilience. The study concludes that although rural households demonstrate significant adaptive capacity, their transition from short-term coping to sustainable adaptation is limited by systemic and institutional constraints. It highlights the need for integrated policy interventions that strengthen livelihood assets, enhance institutional support, improve access to finance and markets, and integrate indigenous knowledge with climate-smart practices. These findings contribute to climate adaptation scholarship and provide policy-relevant insights for building long-term resilience in rural Zimbabwe.

This research aims to investigate the factors influencing the households in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Indonesia to use seasonal forecast issued by the Meteorological Office (BMKG) Indonesia. NTT is a highly vulnerable region to drought, and hence, understanding the weather and climate condition is a crucial issue. Household survey was conducted to interview 300 households in NTT asking about their intention to utilize the forecast information in supporting their livelihood. Furthermore, this research investigates whether the households characteristics influencing the intention. Using the Classification and Regression Tree (CART), we found that the intention to use forecast is dominantly influenced by age of the household head, ownership of household assets, main source of income, crop and livestock activities and water source for livestock.