Table 4. Communities’ applied actions for drought adaptation and resilience building.

	Swaziland
	FGD1	FGD2	FGD3	FGD4	FGD5	FGD6	FGD7	FGD8
Short-term
External food assistance	√	X	√	√	X	√	√	√
Migration to work in mines in South Africa	X	X	X	X	√	X	X	X
Traditional practices/rituals	√	X	√	X	X	X	√	√
Casual jobs	√	X	X	X	√	X	X	√
Selling livestock before they die	X	X	√	X	X	X	√	X
Reducing food rations	X	X	√	√	X	X	X	√
Long-term
Homestead gardens	√	√	√	√	√	X	√	X
Savings groups	X	√	X	√	√	√	X	√
Rearing of goats, sheep, pigs and poultry	X	X	X	X	√	X	X	√
Crop diversification	X	√	X	√	√	X	√	X
Food stocks (reserves)	X	√	X	√	√	√	X	X
Conservation agriculture	√	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
Water harvest/building water dams/reservoirs	X	√	X	X	X	√	X	X
Looking for off-farm employment	X	X	X	X	√	X	X	X
Reusing wastewater for gardens	√	√	X	X	X	√	X	X
Establishing small businesses	√	√	X	X	√	√	X	√
	Lesotho
	FGD1	FGD1	FGD3	FGD4	FGD5	FGD6	FGD7	FGD8
Short-term
External food assistance	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Community members helping each other	X	X	X	X	√	√	√	X
Migration to work in mines in South Africa	X	X	X	√	X	√	X	X
Traditional practices/rituals	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Casual jobs	X	X	X	X	X	√	X	X
Community prayer meetings	X	X	√	√	X	√	X	X
Long-term
Homestead gardens	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Savings groups	√	√	√	√	X	X	√	√
Rearing goats, sheep, pigs and poultry	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Crop diversification	√	√	X	X	√	X	X	√
Food stocks (reserves)	X	X	X	X	√	√	√	√
Conservation agriculture	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Water harvest/building water dams/reservoirs	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Looking for off-farm employment	√	X	X	√	X	X	X	X
Reusing wastewater for gardens	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Establishing small businesses	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√

√ consistently mentioned by many people; X never mentioned. Swaziland study areas: Mpolonjeni, Maphalaleni, Nkilongo. Lesotho study areas: Mpharene, Ramarumo, Kubake, Malumeng.