Evidence of Climate Change Coping and Adaptation Practices by Smallholder Farmers in Northern Ghana

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dc.contributor.authorAntwi- Agyei Philip
dc.contributor.authorFrimpong Nyantakyi Hanson
dc.contributor.orcidhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-8599-474X
dc.date.accessioned2023-12-19T13:37:35Z
dc.date.available2023-12-19T13:37:35Z
dc.date.issued2021
dc.descriptionThis article is published by mdpi.com and is also available at https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031308
dc.description.abstractEvidence on how coping practices for immediate climate variations can transform into long-term adaptive capacity are relatively limited. This study addressed this gap by identifying the coping practices for short-term climate variations and the adaptation measures used by smallholder farmers to address future climate change in northeast Ghana. The paper used a mixed-methods approach, including household surveys, focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Data were collected from 555 households located in six communities across three districts in northeast Ghana. Results indicated that smallholder farmers were employing a host of practices to address the threats posed by climate change. Key adaptation practices included the planting of drought-tolerant crop varieties, the use of indigenous knowledge, intensification of irrigation, migration, adjusting the planting calendar, crop diversification, mixed farming, and sustainable land management practices. On the contrary, short-term coping practices reported by the study participants included the sale of non-farm assets, complementing agriculture with non-farm jobs, selling livestock, engaging in wage labor, charcoal burning and reliance on social networks. The results further revealed that barriers to climate change adaptation and coping practices differed by gender. The paper recommends that capacities of smallholder farmers in vulnerability hotspots should be enhanced to address immediate climate variations, as well as future climate changes. Ghana’s climate change and agricultural policies should prioritize adaptations by smallholder farmers in addressing threats posed by climate change.
dc.description.sponsorshipKNUST
dc.identifier.citationhttps://doi.org/10.3390/su13031308
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.3390/su13031308
dc.identifier.urihttps://ir.knust.edu.gh/handle/123456789/14940
dc.language.isoen
dc.publishermdpi.com
dc.relation.ispartofseries+233-50-525-5247; +233-50-525-5247
dc.titleEvidence of Climate Change Coping and Adaptation Practices by Smallholder Farmers in Northern Ghana
dc.typeArticle
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