Smallholder farmers’ perceptions and knowledge on climate variability and perceived effects in vulnerable rural communities in the Offinso Municipality, Ghana

Abstract

The study examines the perspectives of smallholder farmers in climate variability and the perceived effect on rural agricultural activities in vulnerable communities in the Offinso Municipality of southern Ghana. The farmers' perspectives on climate variability were assessed using a mixed-method approach involving 300 randomly sampled respondents from 6 selected rural farming communities. The results show that smallholder farmers are perceiving different manifestations of climate variability in their local environment. Respondents had a good knowledge of climate variability which was influenced by their levels of education and farming experience. Respondents perceived climate variability and change to be driven by anthropogenic factors with deforestation as the principal driver in the study communities. The study further reveals that the perceived effects of climate variability, particularly on agricultural systems are multidimensional which affect the sustainability of the livelihoods of farming households in rural communities. In view of the perceived effects of climate variability on agricultural systems and livelihoods, livelihood diversification was the most preferred and prominent adaptation strategy employed by many smallholder farmers. The study suggests the need for robust efforts by local government institutions to strengthen farmers’ resilience against climate variability impacts to generate opportunities for sustainable livelihoods.