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Droughts and floods in Malawi: impacts on crop production and the performance of sustainable land management practices under weather extremes

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  • McCarthy, Nancy
  • Kilic, Talip
  • Brubaker, Josh
  • Murray, Siobhan
  • de la Fuente, Alejandro

Abstract

Climate change is predicted to increase the frequency of extreme weather events, increasing the vulnerability of smallholder farmers dependent on rain-fed agriculture. We evaluate the extent to which farmers in Malawi suffer crop production losses due to extreme weather, and whether sustainable land management (SLM) practices help shield crop production losses from extreme events. We use a three period panel dataset where widespread floods and droughts occurred in separate periods, offering a unique opportunity to evaluate impacts using data collected immediately following these events. Results show that crop production outcomes were severely hit by both floods and droughts, with average losses ranging between 32–48 per cent. Legume intercropping provided protection against both floods and droughts, while green belts provided protection against floods. However, we find limited evidence that SLM adoption decisions are driven by exposure to weather shocks; rather, farmers with more productive assets are more likely to adopt.

Suggested Citation

  • McCarthy, Nancy & Kilic, Talip & Brubaker, Josh & Murray, Siobhan & de la Fuente, Alejandro, 2021. "Droughts and floods in Malawi: impacts on crop production and the performance of sustainable land management practices under weather extremes," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 26(5-6), pages 432-449, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:endeec:v:26:y:2021:i:5-6:p:432-449_2
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. McCarthy, Nancy & Kilic, Talip & Brubaker, Joshua & Fuente, Alejandro de la & Murray, Siobhan, 2021. "Recurrent Climatic Shocks and Humanitarian Aid: Impacts on Livelihood Outcomes in Malawi," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315324, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    2. Michler, Jeffrey D. & Josephson, Anna & Kilic, Talip & Murray, Siobhan, 2022. "Privacy protection, measurement error, and the integration of remote sensing and socioeconomic survey data," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    3. Mgomezulu, Wisdom Richard & Edriss, Abdi-Khalil & Machira, Kennedy & Pangapanga-Phiri, Innocent, 2023. "Towards sustainability in the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices: Implications on household poverty, food and nutrition security," Innovation and Green Development, Elsevier, vol. 2(3).
    4. Kilic, Talip & Moylan, Heather & Ilukor, John & Mtengula, Clement & Pangapanga-Phiri, Innocent, 2021. "Root for the tubers: Extended-harvest crop production and productivity measurement in surveys," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    5. Valiant O Odhiambo & Sheryl L Hendriks & Eness P Mutsvangwa-Sammie, 2021. "The effect of an objective weighting of the global food security index’s natural resources and resilience component on country scores and ranking," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(6), pages 1343-1357, December.
    6. Meyer, Jessica, 2023. "How do forests contribute to food security following a weather shock? Evidence from Malawi," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    7. Sydney Gourlay & Talip Kilic, 2023. "Is dirt cheap? The economic costs of failing to meet soil health requirements on smallholder farms," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 54(6), pages 793-818, November.
    8. Boureima Sawadogo, 2022. "Drought Impacts on the Crop Sector and Adaptation Options in Burkina Faso: A Gender-Focused Computable General Equilibrium Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-22, November.
    9. Gourlay,Sydney & Kilic,Talip, 2022. "Is Dirt Cheap ? The Economic Costs of Failing to Meet Soil Health Requirements onSmallholder Farms," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10108, The World Bank.
    10. Calogero Carletto, 2021. "Better data, higher impact: improving agricultural data systems for societal change [Correlated non-classical measurement errors, ‘second best’ policy inference, and the inverse size-productivity r," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 48(4), pages 719-740.
    11. Qingqing Li & Yanping Cao & Shuling Miao & Xinhe Huang, 2022. "Spatiotemporal Characteristics of Drought and Wet Events and Their Impacts on Agriculture in the Yellow River Basin," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-20, April.
    12. McCarthy, Nancy & Cavatassi, Romina & Mabiso, Athur, 2023. "IFAD RESEARCH SERIES 89: Incorporating the Impact of Climate and Weather Variables in Impact Assessments: An Application to an IFAD Climate Change Adaptation Project in Viet Nam," IFAD Research Series 330876, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
    13. Ailish Craig & Craig W. Hutton & Justin Sheffield, 2022. "Social Capital Typologies and Sustainable Development: Spatial Patterns in the Central and Southern Regions of Malawi," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-23, July.
    14. Sally Sonia Simmons & John Elvis Hagan & Thomas Schack, 2022. "Then and Now: Investigating Anthropometrics and Child Mortality among Females in Malawi," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-17, May.

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