Small scale farmers’ adaptation to climate change effects in Pangani River Basin and Pemba: challenges and opportunities

Abstract

Climate change is a global problem with its effects being severe in developing countries where the majority are poor and depend primarily on rain-fed agriculture. Evidence shows that Africa is more vulnerable because 80% of its population depends on rain-fed agriculture for food and other livelihood needs. Climatic data indicate that the continent experiences decreasing and increasing trends of rainfall and temperature respectively. Considering that agricultural continue to be the main stay of the majority of rural communities in the continent. This study therefore, investigated small scale farmers’ perceptions to climate change; farm level adaptation efforts and limitation; and factors influencing adoption adaptation mechanisms in Pangani River Basin and Pemba of Tanzania. Results indicate that farmers in the area perceive that there is change in trends of temperature and rainfall and they are able to link with changes in crop types, cropping patterns, and outbreak of human, animal and crop diseases happening in their respective areas. Results also indicate that farmers are making efforts to adapt to it but shortage of water for irrigation, lack of necessary farm inputs, capital, lack of information on appropriate adaptation mechanisms, and shortage of farm land are the major limitations. Results from Multinomial Logit Model indicate that access to extension services; credit; education level, and location positively condition farmers’ choices of climate change coping strategy. These results suggest that there are opportunities and limitation in ensuring small scale farmers fully adapt to climate change that need immediate attention.