Appraisal of smallholder farmers’ vulnerability to climatic variations and changes in the Western Highlands of Cameroon

Abstract

Agriculture is highly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climatic variations and changes (CVC). Smallholder farmers in particular bear the brunt of adverse climate variations and changes. It was within this background that this paper assessed climatic variations and changes, and the drivers of smallholder farmers’ vulnerability to adverse climatic changes in the Western Highlands of Cameroon. Secondary data (temperature and rainfall data) and primary data (obtained through a household survey of 350 smallholder farmers) were used for the study. Data analysis was done using descriptive and inferential statistical tools. It was found that, smallholder farmers perceived relatively high temperatures, intense sunshine, and erratic and scanty rainfall. Rising temperature, intense sunshine and scanty rainfall recurred annually. Recurrent extreme weather events and poverty were perceived as the major causes of vulnerability to climatic variations and changes. Most smallholder farmers (57.43%) rated their degree of vulnerability to CVC as “highly vulnerable”. A strong non-cause-effect relationship existed between vulnerability to CVC and hypothesized socio-economic, institutional and environmental explanatory variables (p < 0.01). A statistically significant inverse causal relationship existed between smallholder farmers’ vulnerability to CVC and five explanatory variables: household size (β = −1.815, p < 0.01), age of household head (β = −0.695, p < 0.05), household income (β = −6.321, p < 0.01), access to information (β = −5.387, p < 0.05), and access to land (β = −4.239, p < 0.05). It can therefore be concluded that, these five explanatory variables are the main determinants of smallholder farmers’ vulnerability to climatic variations and changes. Based on the findings of the study, it is recommended that good land tenure practices be implemented, more financial support, and adequate and reliable information be provided to smallholder farmers in order to reduce their vulnerability to CVC.