Continuous drought in northern Zimbabwe forced Chardwin Chipuriro to desert his cotton and maize farm near the fertile Zembezi river basin to seek labor jobs in the city.

The 43-year-old, who now works as a gardener in Harare, is still confused about what stopped the rain, causing the plight of him and so many other rural Zimbabweans who know almost nothing other than farming for survival.

"Maybe the white farmers were jealous of us and did something to stop the rain when they left the farm," he said. "People often say that, but I really don't know."

Chipuriro's parents were among the beneficiaries of a land- reform launched after the black majority took control of the former British colony in 1980. They got a generous share of 12 hectares of land in Muzarabani, Mashaonaland Central province from the white farmers.

In a good year, the harvest of Chipuriro's family farm indeed deserved a great deal of jealousy -- 20 tonnes of maize and 1.5 tonnes of cotton, which have an estimated market value of nearly 10,000 U.S. dollars.

But not any more. Droughts, combined with scarce investment and abrupt policy changes, reduce Zimbabwe from the "bread basket of Africa" to a country depending on food aids.

Scientists say over the past two centuries increased industrial activities by the human beings pumped excessive amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. These greenhouse gases trap the Earth's heat and cause erratic changes in weather patterns. The impacts include droughts, floods, rise of sea levels and temperature.

Egline Tauya, an environment researcher with the Harare-based Southern African Research and Documentation Center (SADC) said the main impact of climate change in Zimbabwe is the unpredictability of rainfall patterns over the past decade.

"We are experiencing shorter rainy periods. And when the rain does come, it often causes flash-floods." Tauya said. "The changes are so erratic that the farmers can hardly adjust to."

Drought is not something new to Zimbabwe and many people still remember the devastating drought that wiped out crops in 1992. But Tauya said the notable increase in severity and frequency of the droughts is a clear indication of the climate change.

Chipuriro said in northern Zimbabwe rains used to come in the months from December to February, the moisture crucial for crops like maize to reach maturity, but in recent years as drought occurs year after year that nobody knows exactly when the rainy season starts and how long it lasts.