Climate Variability and Smallholder Farmer Livelihoods in the Mountain Agro Ecological Zones of Sub-Saharan Africa: A Review

Abstract

Climate variability, which results in ecosystem disturbance and biodiversity loss, is now recognised as one of the most challenging and complex issues facing mankind, affecting many sectors in the world, and it continues to exert significant threats related to the environmental, social, and economic livelihoods of mankind generally and smallholder farmers in particular. Rapid biodiversity loss and climate variability are tightly intertwined because their interaction has consequent cascading and complex effects that compromise the quality of life of smallholder farmers due to a decline in livelihood bases. This review aimed at identifying the gaps left by studies on the impact of climate variability on smallholder farmer livelihoods in mountain agro-ecological zones in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).  The gaps included inadequate quantification of livelihood aspects and adaptation capacity, inadequate quantification of vulnerability levels and inadequate quantification of food insecurity of smallholder farmers for the enhancement of their resilience. The works reviewed in this paper include 21 peer-reviewed journal articles, 2 technical reports, and 2 academic theses. The time frame of the works reviewed ranges between 2010 and 2025. The findings revealed that only 4% of the reviewed studies adhered to the four critical aspects.  Studies that considered all four livelihood aspects were 52%, while those that considered three livelihood aspects were 48%. There was inadequate quantification of vulnerability levels (7%), and studies which quantified food insecurity levels accounted for only 8%. It was concluded that a standard protocol should be set for all researchers about the elements that must constitute climate variability and smallholder farmer livelihoods in the mountain agro-ecological zones if appropriate interventions are to be attempted in increasing smallholder farmer resilience, thereby ensuring macroeconomic stability and ecological restoration. It is highly recommended that all livelihood bases be considered if meaningful levels of vulnerability are to be established for meaningful interventions.