Smallholder farmers' livelihood adaptation to climate variability and ecological changes in the savanna agro ecological zone of Ghana

Abstract

Climate variability and ecological changes have consequently altered life and natural livelihood-sustaining systems leading to socio-cultural, economic and environmental challenges and vulnerabilities. The risk factors are very high and the impacts will raise the developmental impediments of safeguarding livelihood security and poverty eradication in Sub-Saharan Africa. Adaptation to climate and ecological variation, though recognized as pressing and necessary, operates in the context of numerous uncertainties and unknowns. Previous studies on climate adaptation tried to identify universal patterns of coping rather than differentiating between agro ecological zones, villages and types of households. This paper uses case studies from two rural communities in the Savanna agro ecological zone of Ghana to explore smallholder farmers' responses to climate and ecological variation effects on their livelihood activities that have emerged since the mid-1980s. Results suggest that smallholder farmers use various coping, on-farm and off-farm adaptation strategies to ameliorate the negative impacts of climate and ecological changes on their livelihood. Coping measures such as selling household assets, migration of the entire households and decreasing food consumption/changing diets can be damaging. On –farm adaptation strategies such as varying planting dates, use of drought tolerant crop varieties, soil conservation strategies are based on farmers indigenous knowledge passed down from generations. To ensure sustainability of local adaptation strategies, there is the need for exchange of knowledge between and among smallholder farmers and formal institutions through the recognition and empowerment of local residents and collective actions.