Climate Change Adaptation and Agricultural Development in Central Africa Republic-Evidence of North-West

Abstract

Farmers' perceptions ethno-weather climate change in the North-west of Central African local knowledge is based on experiences to explain and understand the recent climate change. These farmers' knowledge on climate change has been capitalized using the tools and techniques of socio-anthropological investigations (interview, questionnaire and focus group). The results show that over 80% of people have noted strong sunlight which is in fact the way to express higher temperatures. Facts suggestive manifestations of climate change including reducing the number of days of rain and the duration of the rainy season, early arrival and late withdrawal of the harmattan, the disappearance of animal and plant species and seasons announcing the disruption of the cropping calendar. These climatic perturbations lead the peasantry to develop strategies to adapt to endogenous consequences of the observed changes. Perceptions ethno-conventional meteorological data observed face can help analyze the real impacts of climate change in the North-western of Central African. A total of 225 small-scale farmers were sampled for survey and 100 key informants were used in focus group discussions. The logistic regression model used in the study indicated that education, transportation, income, inputs cost and extension services were the factors with high tendency of undermining farmers’ ability to adapt to climate change. In addition, Weighted Average Index used to measure weather extremes established that drought and temperature had the highest level of occurrence. Change in planting date, improved crops varieties, mixed cropping, and land rotation was the most preferred practices. The study concluded that farmer’s resilience could be enhanced if governments and concern organizations intensify adaptation campaigns and train farmers on adaptable practices including, use of improved seeds, subsidies, increasing Agriculture Extension Agents and provision of irrigation facilities were also good interventions to improve climate change resilience.