Incidence of Indigenous and Innovative Climate Change Adaptation Practices for Smallholder Farmers' Livelihood Security in Chikhwawa District, Southern Malawi

Abstract

Prolonged dry spells or droughts and floods as a result of climate change are a serious problem for smallholder farmers in Malawi, because agriculture is their main livelihood strategy. Food shortages and low income levels due to climate change impacts mean inability of farmers to actively participate in the day to day economic activities. Low income levels can also be translated into lack of access to basic needs of life that are purchased with money. Farmers that have mainly been affected with this problem are those that have land allocations in the Shire River Valley in Chikhwawa and Nsanje Districts. Understanding of the indigenous and innovative climate change adaptation strategies would assist smallholder farmers and policy makers, civil society organisations and the private sector to design programs that can assist farmers to build resilience against climate change impacts for their sustainable livelihoods.

This paper therefore assessed the incidence of indigenous, innovative climate change adaptation strategies for smallholder farmers' livelihood security in Chikhwawa district. Factors that affect adoption of such strategies were also analyzed and discussed.

The study revealed that Crop diversification, eating a wild tuber plant called nyika, applying organic manure to agriculture fields, mixed crop and livestock farming; small scale irrigation are the main indigenous climate change adaptation strategies being adopted by households in the study area.

The study also shows that household size, landholding size, total annual household income level, access to inputs and output markets, months household had no maize or sorghum as a proxy to food insecurity level, and access to agricultural extension services are the major factors or household characteristics that significantly affect adoption of indigenous climate change adaptation strategies in the study area. It was so clear from the analysis that access to agricultural extension services strongly and significantly affects the probability of households adopting most of the identified climate change adaptation strategies.

In terms of policy implications: (a) the identified indigenous climate change adaptation strategies should be promoted by the farming communities; (b) responsible government departments; (c) the donor community; (d) civil society organisations as well as; (e) the private sector if farm families in the study area and other areas in Malawi are to build resilience against climate change impacts and have sustainable livelihoods. The government of Malawi through Ministry of Agriculture and Food security should also improve on the agricultural extension services delivery system and develop messages that aim at promoting adoption of climate change adaptation strategies being identified.