Risk and resilience to climate change impacts on small-scale Agriculture: A case study of Bulilima District.

Abstract

Smallholder farmers are at risk of climate change and have to find coping mechanisms so that they become resilient. The study sought to find out mechanisms used by small scale farmers to adapt to climate change impacts and the communities perceptions of climate change and its impacts on their agricultural activities and also to identify the risks faced by small scale agriculture farmers. The study findings indicated that climate change was happening and surely taking its toll on small-scale farmers in the District. Indications are that rainfall has certainly become erratic over the past years and temperatures have soared highly therefore making it difficult to carry agricultural activity. A number of adaptation strategies were stated, where reducing production space to minimise irrigation, employing high yielding crop varieties and drought resistant crop varieties, selling assets, commodity exchange and alternative employment stood among a host of strategies farmers have employed to minimise the effects of climate change.