This study aimed at understanding farmers' perception and their adaptive capacity to climate chan... more This study aimed at understanding farmers' perception and their adaptive capacity to climate change including constraints, opportunities and acceptance of adaptive strategies in both Migambo and Kibohelo villages of Lushoto district. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used in the proposed study including structured questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, field observation and literature analysis. Also focus group discussions were carried out in both villages surveyed. Out of 70 households surveyed in the study; 100% of the farmers are aware that the climate is changing due to some causative factors including deforestation, clearance of the forest areas for agriculture fields, food insecurity and recently trend of water scarcity which has never happened in their area before. The study reveals that farmers have started to adapt with climate change impacts by deploying several mechanisms including shifting to irrigation farming (68.4%), and practicing of agro forestry (91.4%). However there are several setbacks which constrained the farmers in adapting including; lack of access to the metrological information's (100%), failure to utilize technical indigenous knowledge in weather forecasting (100%), high cost of farm inputs such as fertilizers (100%), lack of extension services (74.3%), lack of access to credit (80%), and shortage of farmland (87.1%). Also the study shows that farmers are willing to adapt with climate change consequences, however their knowledge on how to overcome the causes and responses toward climate change impacts should be reinforced. Further the study proposes the provision of enough extension services, ensuring of weather forecasting information are disseminated properly to the farmers and encouragement the use of alternative source of energy to reduce overdependence to the forest resources whilst ensuring provision of ecosystem services.
This study aimed at understanding farmers' perception and their adaptive capacity to climate chan... more This study aimed at understanding farmers' perception and their adaptive capacity to climate change including constraints, opportunities and acceptance of adaptive strategies in both Migambo and Kibohelo villages of Lushoto district. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used in the proposed study including structured questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, field observation and literature analysis. Also focus group discussions were carried out in both villages surveyed. Out of 70 households surveyed in the study; 100% of the farmers are aware that the climate is changing due to some causative factors including deforestation, clearance of the forest areas for agriculture fields, food insecurity and recently trend of water scarcity which has never happened in their area before. The study reveals that farmers have started to adapt with climate change impacts by deploying several mechanisms including shifting to irrigation farming (68.4%), and practicing of agro forestry (91.4%). However there are several setbacks which constrained the farmers in adapting including; lack of access to the metrological information's (100%), failure to utilize technical indigenous knowledge in weather forecasting (100%), high cost of farm inputs such as fertilizers (100%), lack of extension services (74.3%), lack of access to credit (80%), and shortage of farmland (87.1%). Also the study shows that farmers are willing to adapt with climate change consequences, however their knowledge on how to overcome the causes and responses toward climate change impacts should be reinforced. Further the study proposes the provision of enough extension services, ensuring of weather forecasting information are disseminated properly to the farmers and encouragement the use of alternative source of energy to reduce overdependence to the forest resources whilst ensuring provision of ecosystem services.
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