Southern Africa: Emaswati Say Climate Change Is Making Life Worse, Call On Rich Countries to Act

Majorities say crop failure and soil erosion have become more severe in their area over the past decade.

Key findings

Majorities of Emaswati say that crop failure (59%) and soil erosion (55%) have become more severe in their area over the past decade, while almost half (48%) say the same about droughts.
Rural residents and citizens experiencing high lived poverty are more likely than their urban and better-off counterparts to report that these disasters are intensifying.
Fewer than half (47%) of citizens have heard of climate change. Among those who are aware of the concept: o An overwhelming majority (87%) say it is making life in Eswatini worse.
More than seven in 10 (72%) blame climate change on human activity (52%) or a combination of human activity and natural processes (20%).
Four-fifths (80%) believe that people, businesses, and governments in other parts of the world are the main contributors to climate change, while only 11% attribute primary responsibility to actors within Eswatini.
About nine in 10 say rich nations should take immediate action to curb climate change (90%) and help Eswatini address it (89%), while eight in 10 (80%) want their government to take immediate action, even if it incurs economic costs.
Across all respondents, about three in 10 report having to adjust their lives in response to changing weather patterns by using less water or changing water sources (32%), reducing or rescheduling outdoor work (29%), and changing the types of crops they plant or food they eat (29%).
Reports of climate-related adaptations increase as levels of lived poverty rise.
Large majorities of Emaswati support policies to respond to changing weather patterns, including putting pressure on developed countries for aid (82%), investing in climate-resilient infrastructure (82%), and investing in wind and solar technologies (69%).
But majorities oppose requiring cookstoves to use cleaner fuel (64%), making it illegal to cut down trees for firewood or charcoal (63%), and promoting electric taxis and buses (54%) if these policies will increase prices.

In Eswatini, where more than 70% of citizens are dependent on subsistence agriculture, climate change threatens the livelihoods of large swathes of the population. It will also likely exacerbate food insecurity: Among Southern African Customs Union members, Eswatini is top of the list of countries most at risk from food vulnerability, thanks to higher chances of prolonged droughts (International Monetary Fund, 2024). Droughts limit crop production, which makes it difficult for rural Emaswati to access adequate supplies of micronutrients (Mkhatshwa, Dlamini, LaBeaud, Mandalakas, & Lanza, 2024).

Beyond crop damage, droughts in Eswatini have increased water scarcity (International Monetary Fund, 2024). Eswatini also faces the prospect of climate-change impacts such as higher temperatures, desertification, and increasingly intense storms, all of which have negative consequences for agriculture (World Bank, 2021).

Eswatini aims to grow its economy while making it greener. To this end, it is pursuing policies designed to promote energy self-sufficiency and sustainable agricultural practices. The government has reiterated its commitment to mitigate the impact of climate change and meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. Its Nationally Determined Contributions Implementation Plan for 2020-2030 covers 12 priority areas: agriculture, health, water, ecosystems and biodiversity, infrastructure, energy, waste, industry, forestry, gender, youth, and risk reduction of climate disasters (Kingdom of Eswatini, 2024).

The government's low-carbon development trajectory is increasingly ambitious: In 2025, it announced that it would more than double its targeted reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions (Ministry of Tourism & Environmental Affairs, 2025). Policies such as the Strategy for Sustainable Development and Inclusive Growth and the National Development Strategy pursue egalitarian growth, poverty reduction, and job creation while integrating climate-change responses through commitments to sustainable natural-resource management, climate-resilient agriculture, water security, environmental protection, and disaster-risk reduction (Green Climate Fund, 2024).

A special question module in Afrobarometer's Round 10 survey (2024) explores Emaswati experiences of changing weather patterns and their awareness of and attitudes toward climate change.

Findings show that fewer than half of citizens have heard of climate change. Among those familiar with the concept, nearly three-fourths blame it on human activity or a combination of human activity and natural processes. Overwhelming majorities say it is making life worse and call for urgent action by their government and developed countries.

Majorities of Emaswati report worsening crop failure and soil erosion in their region, while nearly half say the same about droughts. Sizable minorities report having made adjustments in response to these developments, including changing their water-consumption patterns and the crops they plant.

Among all citizens, at least two-thirds are in favour of putting pressure on developed countries to provide climate aid to Eswatini, investing in climate-resilient infrastructure, and increasing funding for wind and solar energy. But majorities reject promoting electric vehicles for public transport, requiring cleaner fuel for cookstoves, and banning tree cutting for firewood or charcoal if these activities would raise prices.

Andiswa Motsa Andiswa Motsa is a student at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Read the original article on Afrobarometer.

Southern Africa: Emaswati Say Climate Change Is Making Life Worse, Call On Rich Countries to Act

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