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Small-holder farmers’ climate change adaptation practices in the Upper East Region of Ghana

Author

Listed:
  • Tyhra Carolyn Kumasi

    (Community Water and Sanitation Agency)

  • Philip Antwi-Agyei

    (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology)

  • Kwasi Obiri-Danso

    (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology)

Abstract

The paper assessed the existing adaptation strategies implemented by farmers in the Upper East Region of Ghana to reduce the adverse impacts of climate change and variability. The paper used data collected through a series of participatory methods including focus group discussions, questionnaire surveys and key informant interviews in 4 farming communities with different socioeconomic backgrounds in the Bongo and Talensi-Nabdam Districts of the Upper East Region. Results showed that farmers’ adaptation to climate change and variability may be categorized under agricultural, water management, communal pooling and livelihood diversification techniques. Specific livelihood diversification adaptation practices identified in the study communities include charcoal or fuel wood sales, temporal and permanent migration to urban areas in search of non-existing jobs. Communal pooling, involving joint ownership and sharing of wealth, labor or incomes across households, is not widely practiced and should be enhanced. The findings showed that male and female farmers may engage in different set of adaptation practices to cope with climate change. Further, the results showed that farmers, especially female farmers, were constrained by a lack of property rights of farmlands, lack of credit facilities and lack of access to irrigation facilities, inadequate climate change information and inadequate seeds for planting. The paper recommends that farmers should be encouraged to form farmer-based associations to network socially, access credit facilities, land, insurance products, extension services and training to empower communities and women. Fostering peer exchange of information between communities will ensure best practices, and lessons learnt are shared and scaled-up. This paper contributes to the literature on mechanisms employed by farmers in dryland farming systems to cope with climate change and variability.

Suggested Citation

  • Tyhra Carolyn Kumasi & Philip Antwi-Agyei & Kwasi Obiri-Danso, 2019. "Small-holder farmers’ climate change adaptation practices in the Upper East Region of Ghana," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 21(2), pages 745-762, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:endesu:v:21:y:2019:i:2:d:10.1007_s10668-017-0062-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s10668-017-0062-2
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. repec:fpr:2020br:16(1 is not listed on IDEAS
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    Cited by:

    1. Bethuel Sibongiseni Ngcamu & Felix Chari, 2020. "Drought Influences on Food Insecurity in Africa: A Systematic Literature Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-17, August.
    2. Mohammed Gali Nuhu & Kenichi Matsui, 2022. "Gender Dimensions of Climate Change Adaptation Needs for Smallholder Farmers in the Upper East Region of Ghana," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-11, August.
    3. Islam, Md. Mofakkarul & Sarker, Md. Asaduzzaman & Al Mamun, Md. Abdullah & Mamun-ur-Rashid, Md. & Roy, Debashis, 2021. "Stepping Up versus Stepping Out: On the outcomes and drivers of two alternative climate change adaptation strategies of smallholders," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    4. Lawrence Guodaar & Douglas K. Bardsley & Jungho Suh, 2021. "Indigenous adaptation to climate change risks in northern Ghana," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 166(1), pages 1-20, May.
    5. Twecan, Dalson & Wang, Weiguang & Xu, Junzeng & Mohmmed, Alnail, 2022. "Climate change vulnerability, adaptation measures, and risk perceptions at households level in Acholi sub-region, Northern Uganda," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    6. Sanaz Honarmand Ebrahimi & Marinus Ossewaarde, 2019. "Not a Security Issue: How Policy Experts De-Politicize the Climate Change–Migration Nexus," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 8(7), pages 1-19, July.
    7. Philip Antwi-Agyei & Hanson Nyantakyi-Frimpong, 2021. "Evidence of Climate Change Coping and Adaptation Practices by Smallholder Farmers in Northern Ghana," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-18, January.
    8. Seth Opoku Mensah & Timothy Amang-bey Akanpabadai & Stephen Kofi Diko & Seth Asare Okyere & Chanimbe Benamba, 2023. "Prioritization of climate change adaptation strategies by smallholder farmers in semi-arid savannah agro-ecological zones: insights from the Talensi District, Ghana," Journal of Social and Economic Development, Springer;Institute for Social and Economic Change, vol. 25(1), pages 232-258, June.

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