**1. Introduction**

Climatic disasters such as drought have become a concern in Africa. Agriculture productivity in southern Africa is declining due to these disasters [1]. Zimbabwe is not an exceptional, [2] note that agricultural yields in Zimbabwe are averaging less a tonne per hectare, resulting in protracted food insecurities despite farmers having large pieces of land. Drought effects are felt in most parts of Zimbabwe where rainfall patterns have become erratic [3]. Hence communities are in dire need of effective, long-term strategies to cope. With recurrent droughts and current climate change projections, the future of food security is not only hinged on productivity and availability of food reserves but on addressing the challenges posed by climatic risks such as drought. Resilience of agricultural technologies is critical in communities where agriculture is the backbone such as in rural Zimbabwe.

CA is one humanitarian initiative introduced in Chivi District, to curb the effects of drought and ensure food security. CA is an agricultural system which seeks to conserve water and soil through its main principles of zero to minimal tillage, crop rotation and mulching. CA has been hailed globally for its ability to increase agricultural productivity under diverse climatic conditions. The same CA project in Chivi, was implemented in Zambia and increased crop yields by 240 to 400% [4]. In Kenya, Ghana and Malawi agricultural profitability increased [5–7]. Despite all this success CA project in Chivi has been characterized by conflict and contestations and its adoption has been very slow [8, 9]. It is within this breadth that this chapter seeks to assess CA adoption in Chivi and establish the weaker lines within the CA project.

IPCC's climate change projections predicting an increase in temperatures and acute rainfall shortages in southern Africa of between 1.5°C to 2.5°C under the 2.0°C GWL and 10 to 20% reduction in precipitation, it is crucial to draw sustainable adaptation strategies and improve resilience in rural communities, which are more vulnerable [10]. This research also unveils factors affecting the adoption of CA and enhance its effectiveness as an adaptation strategy to drought.

The effectiveness of a new technology depends on its adoption and also the project's adoption levels reflect on its strength thus convenience and usefulness in the user's interpersonal networks [11]. Adoption is defined "as the extent to which farmers put into practice a new innovation, given adequate information about the technology and the potential benefits" [12]. The Tradeoffs model inform that farmers are rational beings and only adopt a new system of agriculture if it's more viable [13]. This chapter sought to evaluate the adoption of CA in Chivi.
