Climate risk perception and adaptation strategies of smallholder farmers in The Gambia

Abstract

Climate risk poses significant challenges to agriculture in The Gambia, especially for smallholder farmers reliant on rain-fed farming. Adaptation efforts will be ineffective unless farmers' perspectives of climate change are understood. The objectives are to examine smallholder farmers’ perceptions of climate risk, identify their adaptation strategies, and examine the factors that influence the adoption of these adaptation strategies at farm and off-level. Data were collected from 420 smallholder farmers across three regions of rural Gambia using a survey and multistage sampling technique. Binary logistic and multivariate probit models were used to analyse the determinants of farmers' decision to adopt adaptation strategies. The empirical result of the binary logistic model indicates that land tenure, access to government support, access to markets, witness to extreme weather events, and climate change perception influenced farmers' choice to adopt adaptation measures. The findings further indicate that female farmers are less likely to adopt adaptation measures. However, the multivariate probit model revealed that age, education, access to extension services, membership of farm groups, and perceived climate change are the main determinants of on-farm adaptation strategies. Off-farm strategies such as petty business are mainly influenced by being female, middle age, and primary education. The results suggest that gender-disaggregated support and targeted policies are necessary to encourage the adoption of adaptation strategies among female farmers. It is recommended that the government enhance access to credit, provide tailored support for women farmers, and improve extension services to foster effective adaptation in rural Gambia.