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Hindi Smallholder Farmers Perception of Climate Change and Adaptation Strategies of Rural Livelihoods in the Berekum Municipality, Ghana
Abstract
It is noted that climate change would have severe environmental, monetary, and social impacts in Ghana particularly among the rural farmers whose livelihoods depend on natural resources and rain-fed agriculture. This study assessed farmers' perception of climatic factors and the adaptation strategies that influence their farming livelihood. The study employed a survey using a semi-structured questionnaire involving 93 farmers from three communities fringing Taint II forest reserve in the Berekum Municipality. From economic perspective majority of the respondents were full-time farmers. It was also observed that both traditional and scientific methods were used by the farmers to predict weather changes. The majority of the respondents have noticed changes in temperature patterns for the past ten years, which was attributed to: Deforestation, God's punishment, Bush burning, High sun intensity and Erratic rainfall. The study further revealed some adaptation strategies employed by the farmers such as: Creating fire belts to prevent fire outbreak in the drying seasons, creating water channels on their farmland to prevent erosion, planting crops that can withstand excessive rain and drought and mixed cropping to overcome livelihood challenges resulting from climatic factors. Nevertheless, most of the respondents have no adaptation strategies, as indicated by the phrase 'doing nothing'. The study, therefore, calls for intensive education among farmers on adaptation strategies in this forest-savannah transition zone to overcome climatic factors affecting their livelihoods. Also, the identified autonomous adaptation strategies should be assessed and promoted among farmers since the majority do 'nothing' during extreme changes in temperature and rainfall. These should be championed by the Forestry Commission Environmental Protection Agency and Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Municipal.
