Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to establish the association between smallholder farmer perceptions
toward climate change and adaptation strategies at the household level in Chimanimani District of Zimbabwe.
Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from 284 households mainly using a structured
questionnaire. The Heckman probit selection model was used to first identify the underlying socio-economic
factors that affect households’ recognition of climate change in the past 10 years, and the second model the factors that influence adaptation to the climate change phenomenon.
Findings – The majority of farmers (85 percent) perceived that climate change, characterized by rising
temperatures and variability in rainfall patterns, has been occurring in the past ten years. As a response,
farmers adapted using methods such as manuring and staggering of planting dates. Indigenous knowledge systems and non-governmental organizations increased the likelihood farmers’ recognition of climate change ( p=0.05). The probability of adopting multiple adaptation strategies was influenced by household head’s education level, land tenure and access to public extension services.
Practical implications – Integrative extension methods that take into account socio-cultural values could
be helpful in building resilience as farmers are better able to understand the climate change construct. There is a need to guarantee land tenure rights in resettlement areas to stimulate investment on farms.
Originality/value – This study showed that there is a link between farmers’ prior knowledge of climate
change and the number of adaptive investments. The analysis proposed an educational and extension
approach that is embedded in the socio-cultural and traditional setting of farmers.
Keywords Zimbabwe, Climate change, Adaptation, Resilience, Perceptions, Smallholder farmers
Mutandwa, E., Hanyani-Mlambo, B & Manzvera, J (2019). Exploring the link between climate change perceptions and adaptation strategies among smallholder farmers in Chimanimani district of Zimbabwe. Afribary. Retrieved from https://tracking.afribary.com/works/ijse-12-2018-0654-climate-change-perceptions-article
Mutandwa, Edward, et. al. "Exploring the link between climate change perceptions and adaptation strategies among smallholder farmers in Chimanimani district of Zimbabwe" Afribary. Afribary, 29 Apr. 2019, https://tracking.afribary.com/works/ijse-12-2018-0654-climate-change-perceptions-article. Accessed 10 Nov. 2024.
Mutandwa, Edward, B. Hanyani-Mlambo and Joseph Manzvera . "Exploring the link between climate change perceptions and adaptation strategies among smallholder farmers in Chimanimani district of Zimbabwe". Afribary, Afribary, 29 Apr. 2019. Web. 10 Nov. 2024. < https://tracking.afribary.com/works/ijse-12-2018-0654-climate-change-perceptions-article >.
Mutandwa, Edward, B. Hanyani-Mlambo and Joseph Manzvera . "Exploring the link between climate change perceptions and adaptation strategies among smallholder farmers in Chimanimani district of Zimbabwe" Afribary (2019). Accessed November 10, 2024. https://tracking.afribary.com/works/ijse-12-2018-0654-climate-change-perceptions-article