Climate change and variability awareness and livelihood adaptive strategies among smallholder farmers in semi-arid northern Ghana

Farmers have been modifying their practices in order to deal with climate change and variability. Even though such practices have been documented in other parts of Africa, information on Ghana and particularly northern Ghana is scanty. This study examines the adaptation strategies of smallholder farmers to climate change and variability in northern Ghana. The paper is based on primary data collected through a household survey, community focus group discussions and key informant interviews in order to identify the adaptation responses of smallholder farmers in northern Ghana to climate change and variability. Several indigenous climate-related practices and technologies categorised into four strategies were identified. In addition, climate related technologies introduced by research, also categorised into four strategies, and were identified as being used by smallholder farmers in northern Ghana. The empirical results of the Friedman test indicates that timing of the onset of the rainy season which informed planting, and soil and plant health related strategies are the most important climate related strategies used by smallholder farmers in securing yield. The policy implication is that practical, timely and reliable information on the onset of the rainy season as well as region specific soil and plant health technologies should be generated and made available to smallholder farmers in northern Ghana to minimise the adverse impacts of climate change.

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Climate Smart Agriculture Practices in Semi-arid Northern Ghana: Implications for Sustainable Livelihoods

Journal of Sustainable Development ◽

10.5539/jsd.v11n5p57 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 57

Author(s):

Rahinatu Sidiki Alare ◽

Erasmus Henaku Owusu ◽

Kwadwo Owusu

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Food Security ◽

Water Scarcity ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Dry Season ◽

Northern Ghana ◽

Household Food Security ◽

Farm Income ◽

Smart Agriculture ◽

Semi Arid

Achieving food security and livelihood development among vulnerable households in the semi-arid regions is challenged by water scarcity and climate change. To alleviate the challenges of water scarcity and climate change impacts, farmers are adopting different climate smart agriculture (CSA) practices. However, there is limited knowledge on the contribution of CSA practices to livelihoods of farmers in semi-arid northern Ghana. Therefore, this paper explored CSA practices adopted by smallholder farmers and assessed the contribution of dry season farming to livelihoods in rural semi-arid Ghana. Using data from 100 households, farm income, household food security and subjective wellbeing (SWB) were compared between dry season farmers and non-dry season ones. The findings showed that socio-economic factors hindered the utilisation of practices with high start-up cost such as rain water harvesting. Farmers also adopted other practices based on the benefits, ease of use and geographical context. Comparing dry season farmers and non-dry season ones, the results showed that dry season farming had great potentials of improving income, food security (66%) and wellbeing (P>0.01) of rural households in semi-arid Ghana. However, adopting CSA practices only without instituting programmes to address other socio-economic challenges faced by smallholder farmers will yield minimal impacts. Complementing CSA initiatives with poverty alleviation programmes will effectively contribute to improved livelihoods in resource poor communities.

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Intra-household decision-making and perceived climate change resilience among smallholder farmers in semi-arid northern Ghana

SN Social Sciences ◽

10.1007/s43545-021-00299-z ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 1 (12) ◽

Author(s):

Evans Batung ◽

Kamaldeen Mohammed ◽

Moses Mosonsieyiri Kansanga ◽

Hanson Nyantakyi-Frimpong ◽

Isaac Luginaah

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Decision Making ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Northern Ghana ◽

Household Decision ◽

Household Decision Making ◽

Semi Arid ◽

Climate Change Resilience

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DISSEMINATION AND USE OF INFORMATION ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND VARIABILITY: A CASE STUDY OF FARMERS IN MALUGA AND CHIBELA VILLAGES IN SEMI-ARID CENTRAL TANZANIA

Mousaion ◽

10.25159/0027-2639/157 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 33 (3) ◽

pp. 1-24

Author(s):

Emmanuel Elia ◽

Stephen Mutula ◽

Christine Stilwell

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Data Collection ◽

Diffusion Of Innovations ◽

Agricultural Development ◽

Agricultural Sector ◽

Policy Framework ◽

Accurate Information ◽

Adaptation To Climate Change ◽

Climate Change And Variability ◽

Semi Arid

This study was part of broader PhD research which investigated how access to, and use of, information enhances adaptation to climate change and variability in the agricultural sector in semi-arid Central Tanzania. The research was carried out in two villages using Rogersâ€™ Diffusion of Innovations theory and model to assess the dissemination of this information and its use by farmers in their adaptation of their farming practices to climate change and variability. This predominantly qualitative study employed a post-positivist paradigm. Some elements of a quantitative approach were also deployed in the data collection and analysis. The principal data collection methods were interviews and focus group discussions. The study population comprised farmers, agricultural extension officers and the Climate Change Adaptation in Africa project manager. Qualitative data were subjected to content analysis whereas quantitative data were analysed to generate mostly descriptive statistics using SPSS. Â Key findings of the study show that farmers perceive a problem in the dissemination and use of climate information for agricultural development. They found access to agricultural inputs to be expensive, unreliable and untimely. To mitigate the adverse effects of climate change and variability on farming effectively, the study recommends the repackaging of current and accurate information on climate change and variability, farmer education and training, and collaboration between researchers, meteorology experts, and extension officers and farmers. Moreover, a clear policy framework for disseminating information related to climate change and variability is required.

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Analysis of smallholder farmers’ vulnerability to climate change and variability in south Wollo, north east highlands of Ethiopia: An agro-ecological system-based approach

10.21203/rs.3.rs-106882/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yimer Mohammed ◽

Kindie Tesfaye ◽

Menfese Tadesse ◽

Fantaw Yimer

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Adaptive Capacity ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Contributing Factors ◽

Scale Level ◽

Ecological Zones ◽

Micro Scale ◽

Climate Change And Variability ◽

North East ◽

Agro Ecological Zones

Abstract Background: Climate change and variability has been significantly affecting the Ethiopian agricultural production and thereby smallholder farmers livelihoods. The level of vulnerability varied across agro-ecological zones (AEZs). Identification of difference in the level of vulnerability of a system is important in selecting appropriate and effective adaption options to climate change. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the level of vulnerability of agricultural communities to climate change and variability at micro-scale level in five agro-ecological zones (AEZs) of south Wollo, north east highlands of Ethiopia. Data was collected from a representative of 502 sample households from five AEZs through multi stage random sampling methods. Focus group discussion and key informant interviews were also carried out to supplement and substantiate the quantitative data. The indicator based approach was used to empirically calculate vulnerability. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to give weight for indicators and generate index of vulnerability contributing factors. Results: The results showed that each of the vulnerability contributing factors (exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity) varied across the AEZs. M3, SM2 and SM3 are the most exposed AEZs but having a relatively better adaptive capacity whereas M1, M2 and M3 are the most sensitive AEZs with relatively low adaptive capacity to climate variability and change. Overall, SM2 is the most vulnerable AEZ which exhibited high sensitivity and low adaptive capacity followed by M1. Conclusions: The study explored sources and levels of vulnerability to each agro-ecology. Since the study is conducted at micro-scale level, it helps decision makers and development partners to have context-specific understanding of the impact of climate change and variability and design appropriate adaptation measures to address the specific situations.

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Smallholder farmers’ coping and adaptation strategies to climate change and variability in the central highlands of Ethiopia

Local Environment ◽

10.1080/13549839.2017.1290058 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 22 (7) ◽

pp. 825-839 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Arragaw Alemayehu ◽

Woldeamlak Bewket

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Adaptation Strategies ◽

Climate Change And Variability ◽

Central Highlands

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Climate Change-Induced Impacts on Smallholder Farmers in Selected Districts of Sidama, Southern Ethiopia

Climate ◽

10.3390/cli7050070 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (5) ◽

pp. 70 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Tafesse Matewos

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Adaptive Strategies ◽

Southern Ethiopia ◽

Climatic Data ◽

Rural Farmers ◽

Women's Participation ◽

Family Decision Making ◽

Literacy Level ◽

Increasing Trends

Different factors control the types of adaptive strategies and likelihoods of experiencing climate change-induced impacts by smallholder farmers. By using a mixed research method, this study examines the types and determinants of climate change-induced impacts on smallholder rural farmers in drought-prone low lands of Sidama, Southern Ethiopia. Randomly selected (401) households were surveyed on climate change-induced impacts. Longitudinal climatic data were also collected from the Ethiopian National Meteorological Agency to assess the trend of rainfall (RF), temperature and drought incidents. The analyses of the data revealed that RF and temperature had shown decreasing and increasing trends, respectively, during the three decades under consideration (1983–2014). These changes in RF and temperature exposed farmers to climate-related epidemics, drought, harvest loss, and hunger. The logit model results revealed that different factors control the likelihood of exposure to climate change-induced impacts. The findings revealed that literacy level, involving women in family decisions and farmers’ involvement in adaptation planning, reduces the likelihood of exposure to climate change-induced hunger. Therefore, there is a need to work on human capital of the farmers through expanding education, strengthening women’s participation in family decision-making, and by improving public participation in climate change adaptation undertakings to minimize climate change-induced impacts.

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Review of Climate Change Adaptation and Social Protection Policies of Ghana

International Journal of Social Ecology and Sustainable Development ◽

10.4018/ijsesd.2015100101 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 6 (4) ◽

pp. 1-14 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Kwasi Frimpong ◽

Eddie Van Etten ◽

Jacques Oosthuzien ◽

Victor Nufam Fannam

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Heat Stress ◽

Climate Change Adaptation ◽

Social Protection ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Working Environment ◽

Northern Ghana ◽

African Region ◽

Smallholder Farming ◽

Adaptation Policies

Smallholder farming has become a significant livelihood coping strategy of the population in Ghana. However, in the last decade the upsurge of climate change and the effect of heat stress vulnerability on smallholder farmers in Northern Ghana are alarming. This article investigates the chances of using social protection and climate change adaptation policies towards the management of risks associated with heat stress emanating from climate change. It reviews salient literature on heat stress, social protection, and climate change policies and develops a model upon which both domestic and international interest in climate and social protection policies of Ghana and Sub-Sahara Africa can reduce or aggravate heat stress impacts on smallholder farmers both at their working environment and at household level. It exemplifies the efficacy of the strength of social protection and climate change adaptation policies in Ghana and its impacts on vulnerable rural smallholder farmers and how such situation is replicated in many parts of Africa. It outlines further measures that can be undertaken by governments and international donor agencies to revamp the destitution of smallholder farmers to climate change and heat stress in African region.

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Sensitivity of Maize Yield in Smallholder Systems to Climate Scenarios in Semi-Arid Regions of West Africa: Accounting for Variability in Farm Management Practices

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy9100639 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (10) ◽

pp. 639 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Bright Freduah ◽

Dilys MacCarthy ◽

Myriam Adam ◽

Mouhamed Ly ◽

Alex Ruane ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Arid Regions ◽

Climate Models ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Maize Yield ◽

Climate Scenarios ◽

Relative Standard ◽

The Impact ◽

Semi Arid ◽

Smallholder Systems

Climate change is estimated to exacerbate existing challenges faced by smallholder farmers in Sub-Sahara Africa. However, limited studies quantify the extent of variation in climate change impact under these systems at the local scale. The Decision Support System for Agro-technological Transfer (DSSAT) was used to quantify variation in climate change impacts on maize yield under current agricultural practices in semi-arid regions of Senegal (Nioro du Rip) and Ghana (Navrongo and Tamale). Multi-benchmark climate models (Mid-Century, 2040–2069 for two Representative Concentration Pathways, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5), and multiple soil and management information from agronomic surveys were used as input for DSSAT. The average impact of climate scenarios on grain yield among farms ranged between −9% and −39% across sites. Substantial variation in climate response exists across farms in the same farming zone with relative standard deviations from 8% to 117% at Nioro du Rip, 13% to 64% in Navrongo and 9% to 37% in Tamale across climate models. Variations in fertilizer application, planting dates and soil types explained the variation in the impact among farms. This study provides insight into the complexities of the impact of climate scenarios on maize yield and the need for better representation of heterogeneous farming systems for optimized outcomes in adaptation and resilience planning in smallholder systems.

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