Understanding systemic vulnerabilities and resource interactions within the water-energy-food nexus among rural households in Chivi District, Masvingo province, Zimbabwe

Rural households in semi-arid Zimbabwe face persistent and interconnected pressures across water, energy, and food systems. However, empirical studies examining these dynamics through an integrated Water–Energy–Food (WEF) nexus lens at the household level remain limited. This study investigates systemic vulnerabilities and resource interactions shaping WEF security among rural households in Chivi District, Masvingo Province. Guided by vulnerability theory and WEF nexus scholarship, the research examines the status of WEF security, the interactions generating compounded risks, household coping strategies, and pathways for integrated responses. A qualitative research design was adopted to capture lived experiences and institutional perspectives. Data were collected through focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and direct observation, and were analyzed thematically using an inductive–deductive approach. Findings reveal deeply embedded structural and climatic constraints, including chronic water scarcity, deteriorating infrastructure, reliance on rain-fed agriculture, and widespread reliance on biomass energy. These conditions interact to produce cyclical and gendered patterns of insecurity. Water shortages undermine agricultural production, energy poverty limits irrigation and food processing, and declining food output intensifies pressure on water and biomass resources. Households employ diverse coping strategies, including rationing, resource substitution, livelihood diversification, asset sales, and temporary migration, yet these responses remain insufficient under persistent structural constraints. The study concludes that WEF insecurities in Chivi are systemic rather than sectoral, rooted in governance, climatic, and socio-economic conditions that cannot be addressed through siloed interventions. It highlights the need for integrated, locally grounded strategies that strengthen water reliability, expand access to decentralized energy, support climate-resilient food systems, and enhance cross-sectoral coordination. The research contributes empirical insight to nexus scholarship in Southern Africa and underscores the importance of institutionally integrated approaches to rural resilience.