Vulnerabilityin the Face of Climate Change and Variability: Perceptions and Off-FarmCopping Strategies amongFarm Households in Northern Rural Savannah,Ghana
Journal Title: International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention - Year 2017, Vol 6, Issue 5
Abstract
Rural population in West Africa represents one of the largest vulnerable groups in the world and this vulnerability emanates from the change and variability of the climate over the years. Agriculture in Northern Ghana is rain-fed and the rural population lack adequate resources to adapt to the changing climate. This paper focuses on farm households’ perception of their vulnerability to climate change and copping strategies. Four farming communities in the Wa-West District were purposively selected for the study. The study was basically qualitative which employed Participatory Rural Appraisal methods including interview and Focused Group Discussions (FGDs) in the data collection. A total of 20 farmers were interviewed and 8 FGDs were conducted. The data was analyzed through transcription, detailed description and paraphrasing. Results of the study indicates that farmers generally agreed that there is a change in climate marked by increasing temperatures, shortened rainy season, prolonged dry season, erratic rainfall pattern and high incidence of drought. Farmers attribute the occurrence of these climatic conditions to illicit activities such as incessant armed robbery, killing of innocent people, adultery and people having sex in the bush which made the gods and ancestors of the land angry and therefore changes in climatic elements are punishment from the gods and ancestors. Farm households adopted varied copping strategies to reduce their vulnerability to climate change including sale of their casual labour, charcoal making, petty trading, pito brewing, shea nut collection, shea butter extraction and temporary out-migration to seek for “greener pastures”. It is recommended that the Ghana Meteorological Service Department should collaborate with the local radio stations to broadcast weather forecast in the local languages targeted at rural farmers so that they could properly plan their farming activities during the rainy season.
Authors and Affiliations
Ibrahim Abu Abdulai, Abdul-Moomin Adams, Mu-een Abdulai
Keywords
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