Abstract
Climate change and variability are a reality and have had marked effects on both human and ecological systems. Adaptation to such effects either directly or indirectly is viewed as a novel way of reducing the spread of the associated risks. The study was conducted in Rubanda District with a general aim of evaluating the effectiveness of adaptation measures to climate variability used by smallholder Irish potatoes farmers. Specifically, we sought to appraise small-holder Irish potato farmers’ perceptions about the effectiveness of climate variability adaptation measures and implications on Irish potato productivity. We undertook a cross-sectional study to collect data from total of 197 farmers using a structured questionnaire. Other participatory methods such as focus group discussions and key informant interview were also used to complement the household survey. Data were analyzed using SPSS Version 23 to generate descriptive statistics as well as relationships between the adaptation measures and the productivity of the Irish potatoes using a Cobb-Douglas production function. The Cobb-Douglas model revealed that the use of fertilizers was significantly and positively associated with productivity of Irish potato (P
Highlights
Uganda’s climate is naturally variable and is susceptible to impacts of climate variability such as floods, landslides and drought among others (Hepworth & Goulden, 2008; NAPA, 2007; Mugagga et al, 2019)
The study was conducted in Rubanda District with a general aim of evaluating the effectiveness of adaptation measures to climate variability used by smallholder Irish potatoes farmers
The results revealed that majority of the respondents (81.7%) interviewed were those who had stayed in the area for close to two decades (18 above)
Summary
Uganda’s climate is naturally variable and is susceptible to impacts of climate variability such as floods, landslides and drought among others (Hepworth & Goulden, 2008; NAPA, 2007; Mugagga et al, 2019). Byishimo (2017) observed that an increase in maximum temperatures by 1 ̊C may lead to a decrease of potato yields by 31.8% in Rwanda These changes will cause a decline in Irish potato yields and yet the crop is an important food and cash crop in Uganda and one of the dominant crops in South-Western Uganda, with over 80% of smallholder farmers in Rubanda District involved in it (MAAIF, 2010; Mbowa & Mwesigye, 2016; Mugagga et al, 2019; UBOS, 2016). A study by Byamukama et al (2018) revealed that climate variability related disasters like droughts and floods are key factors affecting potato growing in Rubanda District Adapting to these changes is key given that the calculated decrease in potato yields is large for many regions without adaptation by 2040 to 2060 (Hijmans, 2003). A few studies (Kikoyo & Nobert, 2015; Zizinga et al, 2015) conducted in Uganda to measure the performance of adaptation strategies further highlight the need for research into effectiveness of adaptation measures employed by farmers. Kikoyo & Nobert (2015) revealed that adaptation measures applied by
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