Abstract
BackgroundRain-fed agriculture remains the source of employment for a majority of Ghana’s population, particularly in northern Ghana where annual rainfall is low. The purpose of this study is to examine farmers’ perceptions and adaptation practices to climate change and variability in accordance with actual recorded weather data of the Vea catchment in Upper East Region of northern Ghana during the time interval from 1972 to 2012.MethodsClimatic data over 41-years (1972–2012) from four stations in vicinity of the catchment was evaluated to identify actual weather outcomes. A survey questionnaire targeting farmers with at least 30-years of farming experience in the area was administered in six of the eleven agricultural enumeration areas in the catchment covering 305 km2. Of the 466 farmers interviewed, 79 % utilized rain-fed practices while 21 % utilized some form of irrigation.ResultsResults indicate that nearly 90 % of the farmers interviewed believe that temperature increased over the past 30-years, while over 94 % of the farmers believe that amount of rainfall, duration, intensity and rainy days has decreased. Nearly 96 % of the farmers believe that their farms are extremely vulnerable to decreased rainfall, droughts and changed timing of rainfall events. Climatic data of the catchment indicates a rising trend in temperature but no long-term changes in annual and monthly rainfall, thereby possibly increasing levels of evapotranspiration. While no statistical differences were found between rain-fed and irrigation agricultural types regarding receipt of external support, their approaches to climatic change adaptation do differ. Patently, 94 and 90 % of farmers relying on rain-fed and irrigation strategies respectively receive some form of support, primarily via extension services. Farmers using rain-fed practices adjust to climate variability by varying crop types via rotation without fertilizer while farmers employing irrigation practices are more likely to offset climate variability with a greater use of fertilizer application.ConclusionThe Vea catchment faces rising temperature and evapotranspiration trends. Farmers are aware of these climatic changes and are adapting strategies to cope with the effects but require support. Adequate extension services and irrigation facilities are needed to assist farmers in order to sustain their livelihoods on the long run.
Highlights
Climate change is likely to adversely affect the lives of poor and rural African farmers, potentially undermining food security and socio-economic development if no appropriate measures are taken (Abeygunawardena et al 2003; Adger et al 2007; Gbetibouo 2009; Ringler et al 2011)
The purpose of this study is to examine farmers’ perceptions and adaptation practices to climate change and variability in accordance with actual recorded weather data of the Vea catchment in Upper Eastern Region (UER) of northern Ghana during the time interval from 1972 to 2012
The highest temperatures occurred in March and April with mean values of 39.3 and 38.5 °C respectively and the lowest were observed to occur in December and January, with long-term (1972– 2012) average values of mean monthly minimum temperatures of 19.2 and 19.7 °C respectively
Summary
Climate change is likely to adversely affect the lives of poor and rural African farmers, potentially undermining food security and socio-economic development if no appropriate measures are taken (Abeygunawardena et al 2003; Adger et al 2007; Gbetibouo 2009; Ringler et al 2011). Climate change is projected to further worsen the plight of smallholder farmers as suggested by recent studies that surmise the production of main cereal crops by smallholder farmers, such as maize, rice and wheat will be negatively affected by even modest increases in temperatures (Morton 2007) Tropical countries like those in Africa with already high populations of poor and smallholder farmers are the areas expected to be hardest hit by climate change impacts (Hertel and Rosch 2010). Owing to the projections of worsening climatic conditions, it is imperative that efforts be directed toward helping these smallholder farmers identify effective adaptation production systems in building strong resilience to climate change (Harvey et al 2014)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
