AUTHOR=Shoko Kori Dumisani 

TITLE=The psychosocial impact of climate change among smallholder farmers: a potential threat to sustainable development

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=Volume 14 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1067879

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1067879

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=Psychosocial impacts of climate change and implications on sustainable development remain unclear. This problem was addressed focusing on smallholder farmers in resettlement areas of Chirumanzu District, Zimbabwe. An Exploratory Descriptive Qualitative research design was adopted. Purposive sampling techniques were used to select fifty-four farmers who served as main respondents from four representative wards. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic content analysis. Code groups and codes were established through inductive approaches considering narratives of farmers. Forty psychosocial impacts were established. They were qualitative, intangible, indirect and difficult to measure quantitatively. Farmers agonized over the threat of climate change on farming operations, felt humiliated and embarrassed over detestable practices they resorted to due to climate change. Some farmers experienced heightened negative feelings, thoughts and emotions. It was established that psychosocial impacts of climate change have a strong bearing on sustainable development of emerging rural communities.