scholarly journals Sustainable Climate Change Adaptation in Developing Countries: Role of Perception Among Rural Households

Author(s):  
Oluwatosin Oluwasegun Fasina ◽  
Emmanuel Chilekwu Okogbue ◽  
Oluwatosin Omowunmi Ishola ◽  
Abiodun Adeeko

AbstractClimate change adaptation entails exploiting not only economically but also environmentally beneficial strategies by all stakeholders. However, the successful implementation of adaptation actions is also subject to the perception of climate change, usually influenced by knowledge, experiences, and sociocultural factors including gender relations, among the target group. This chapter analyzes the perception of climate change among rural households in Southwest Nigeria and ascertains the coping and adaptation strategies in use among the households. A total of 239 respondents were interviewed across the vegetative zones available in the study area. Findings revealed that 54.8% were involved in crop farming. About 51.0% and 45.6% practiced change in sowing date and harvest date, respectively. Respondents’ perception had a significant relationship with adaptation measures such as change in harvest date (χ2 = 56.753, p = 0.026), planting improved varieties (χ2 = 55.866, p = 0.031), and mixed cropping (χ2 = 55.433, p = 0.042). Respondents had a favorable perception of climate change. The study concluded that although their perception of climate change was favorable and indicated their understanding of its negative effects on their livelihoods, it did not take cognizance of women’s insecure access to production resources. It recommended the development of easily accessible weather forecasts to aid livelihood decisions and enlightenment on improved women’s access to production resources and biodiversity protection.

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1928 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuiping Quan ◽  
Yingming Li ◽  
Jianxin Song ◽  
Tao Zhang ◽  
Mingyue Wang

This paper explored farm households’ autonomous climate change adaptation strategies and corresponding impacts on wheat yield. Based on a survey of 314 wheat farmers in rural China, results show that Chinese wheat farmers have a high rate of climate change awareness and adoption of climate change adaptation measures. Farmers’ cultivated area, cognition level and information accessibility on climate change significantly affect their adaptation decisions. However, these farmers are given limited adaptation strategies, mainly including increasing irrigation, and using more chemical fertilizer and pesticides. Through employing a simultaneous equations model with endogenous switching, we find farmers’ adaptation to climate change is maladaptive with negative effects on wheat yield. This study, therefore, suggests policymakers be mindful of farmers’ maladaptive responses to climate change and provide effective adaptation measures, to help farmers cope with the risks of climate change and ensure farmer’s livelihood security and sustainable agriculture development.


2016 ◽  
Vol 73 (9) ◽  
pp. 2251-2259 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. U. Hasse ◽  
D. E. Weingaertner

As the central product of the BMBF-KLIMZUG-funded Joint Network and Research Project (JNRP) ‘dynaklim – Dynamic adaptation of regional planning and development processes to the effects of climate change in the Emscher-Lippe region (North Rhine Westphalia, Germany)’, the Roadmap 2020 ‘Regional Climate Adaptation’ has been developed by the various regional stakeholders and institutions containing specific regional scenarios, strategies and adaptation measures applicable throughout the region. This paper presents the method, elements and main results of this regional roadmap process by using the example of the thematic sub-roadmap ‘Water Sensitive Urban Design 2020’. With a focus on the process support tool ‘KlimaFLEX’, one of the main adaptation measures of the WSUD 2020 roadmap, typical challenges for integrated climate change adaptation like scattered knowledge, knowledge gaps and divided responsibilities but also potential solutions and promising chances for urban development and urban water management are discussed. With the roadmap and the related tool, the relevant stakeholders of the Emscher-Lippe region have jointly developed important prerequisites to integrate their knowledge, to clarify vulnerabilities, adaptation goals, responsibilities and interests, and to foresightedly coordinate measures, resources, priorities and schedules for an efficient joint urban planning, well-grounded decision-making in times of continued uncertainties and step-by-step implementation of adaptation measures from now on.


2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 155
Author(s):  
Okuli William Swai

Although various long term adaptation measures are currently implemented by farmers to adapt to the effects of climate change in Tanzania, information regarding factors determining choice of adaptation options between men and women is scarce. A gendered analysis was done to analyze determinants of adaptation to climate change in Bahi and Kondoa Districts, Dodoma Region, Tanzania. A cross-sectional research design was adopted whereby the data was collected from a sample of 360 respondents, 12 focus groups and 18 key informants. Analysis of quantitative data involved descriptive statistics and multinomial logit model using Nlogit 3.0 and qualitative data were summarized by using content analysis. Results revealed that the main occupation and land size were the main factors that determined adaptation options for men during food shortage while for women, the main factor was marital status. The village/location of respondents was the main factor that determined climate change adaptation option for women to adapt crops to climate change whereas, for men, access to agricultural knowledge was the main factor that encouraged men to use improved seeds, manure and deep cultivation, instead of selecting and keeping enough seeds for the next season. It is concluded that factors determining choice of climate change adaptation between men and women are not the same, emphasizing the need for gender differentiated interventions to promote climate change adaptation. Thus, planners and policy makers from Agriculture, Livestock and Environment sectors; Tanzania NAPA and other development practitioners dealing with climate change should use gender sensitive interventions to manage climate change.


Author(s):  
Philipp Schmidt-Thome ◽  
Thi Ha Nguyen ◽  
Thanh Long Pham ◽  
Jaana Jarva ◽  
Kristiina Nuottimäki

Author(s):  
Salley Alhassan ◽  
Wade Hadwen

Climate change threatens water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) facilities and services, as these are intimately linked to the water cycle and are vulnerable to changes in the quantity and quality of available water resources. Floods and droughts, which pollute and reduce water delivery respectively, have now become a perennial issue to deal with in the northern regions of the country, including the Bolgatanga Municipality. This study aimed to assess the degree to which climate change adaptation measures are mainstreamed into the WaSH development planning process in Ghana. Stakeholders from government and non-government agencies were interviewed to gain perspectives on the threat of climate change, the inclusion of climate change in WaSH planning and the barriers preventing mainstreaming. In general, despite awareness and concern about climate change, adaptation measures have been regarded to be far away from the immediate concerns of WaSH development planning. Most of the current measures are reactive and respond to environmental issues rather than to climate change stressors. In essence, stakeholders expressed the view that the adaptive capacity of the Municipality was low and that mainstreaming has not yet occurred. Despite the lack of progress, there are great opportunities for mainstreaming climate change adaptation into planning through increasing awareness and capacity, legislative and institutional changes and the development of participatory systems to provide early warning systems and disaster risk analyses that will inform future planning.


Author(s):  
Emmanuel Nyadzi

Abstract Indigenous people are often considered victims of climate change impact rather than agents of adaptation. Emerging studies in Africa have shifted the attention to indigenous knowledge (IK) to support the development of effective climate change adaptation strategies. This study adopted a systematic literature review methodology to analyse the following: (i) characterization of IK, (ii) potential of IK for knowledge co-production, (iii) IK for climate change causes and impact identification, (iv) IK for formulating and implementing climate change interventions, and (v) documentation and conservation of IK as a resource for climate change adaptation. Results show that there is no consensus on the definition of IK. However, certain identical elements in the available definitions are relevant for contextualization. IK has been useful in the formulation of different climate change adaptation strategies: management practices, early warning, and risk and disaster management. IK has the potential for knowledge co-production relevant for developing robust adaptation measures. Weather and climate services remain a critical area where IK and scientific knowledge (SK) are integrated to enhance forecast reliability and acceptability for local communities. IK is disappearing because of modernization and rural-urban migration, changing landscape and shifting religious beliefs. We suggest the need for more research into the complexity of the IK, proper documentation and storage of IK, and developing effective approaches to integrate IK with SK such that it is well received among researchers and policymakers. While doing this, it is important to maintain the unique features that distinguish IK from other forms of knowledge.


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