Farmers Coping and Adaptation Mechanisms to Perceived Changes and Variability in Climate

Abstract

There is a growing global concern about the detrimental effects of climate change and variations on rain-fed agriculture. This study determined households’ perceptions of changes and variations in climate and institutional roles in farmers' coping and adaptation mechanisms to changes and variations in climate in Paicho Sub County (S/C), Gulu district in Northern Uganda. Data was collected through structured household interviews and analyzed using regression analysis and descriptive statistics. Findings showed that respondents perceived rainfall and temperature to be the climatic parameters that had changed most with rainfall onset largely unpredictable. The major coping mechanisms to changes and variations in climate included: buying food from the market, exchange of labor for food, and getting food help from relatives, community, and food agencies while, the major adaptation mechanisms included: getting jobs outside agriculture, adjustment of planting dates, diversification of production, carrying out mixed cropping, and growing improved crop and animal varieties. Additionally, the gender (P<0.05), the size of the land (P<0.05), and the age of the household head (P<0.05) were found to be the most significant factors influencing adaptation mechanisms. Furthermore, the role of existing institutions in community adaptation to changes and variations in climate included: making decisions on planting time, providing access to information relevant to coping and adaptation, providing access to credit, governing entitlements, and capacity building. In conclusion, there is a need for better and new crop varieties that can survive under changed and varied climatic conditions, and a need for more enhanced adaptation mechanisms