Understanding drought impacts on livelihoods and risk management strategies: South African smallholder farmers' perspectives

Drought is one of the main causes of food insecurity, malnutrition and poverty. It is therefore important to understand the perception of farmers on socioeconomic and environmental impacts of drought and the strategies employed to manage it. Using data collected from 301 smallholder households in Thaba Nchu, South Africa, the study contributes to three perspectives: analyse the perceived impact of drought, examine the determinants of the perceived impact, and identify factors affecting the intensity of drought-risk management (DRM) practices employed by smallholder farming households. The findings from the principal component analysis (PCA) revealed three main dimensions of the perceived drought impact: social, economic, and environmental impacts. The results from the seemingly unrelated regression analysis applied to the three PCA dimensions indicated that different socio-economic and institutional factors have a different influence on the three dimensions. In addition, the results from the count data modelling showed that factors such as age, household size, non-farm work and extension services are significant in determining the intensity of DRM strategies implemented by farmers in the study area. The study therefore recommends that climate risk management be integrated into the provision of extension services, particularly in drought-prone areas such as the Free State Province. Furthermore, encouraging farmers to engage in non-agricultural economic activities is also crucial, as this can serve as insurance against events such as drought.