Prioritization of climate change adaptation strategies by smallholder farmers in semi-arid savannah agro-ecological zones: insights from the Talensi District, Ghana

Opoku Mensah, S; Akanpabadai, TA-B; Diko, SK; Okyere, SA; Benamba, C

Prioritization of climate change adaptation strategies by smallholder farmers in semi-arid savannah agro-ecological zones: insights from the Talensi District, Ghana

Opoku Mensah, S Akanpabadai, TA-B Diko, SK Okyere, SA Benamba, C

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Publisher:: Springer
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Journal of Social and Economic Development, 2023, 25, (1), pp. 232-258
Issue Date:: 2023-11-25

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Opoku Mensah, S
dc.contributor.author	Akanpabadai, TA-B
dc.contributor.author	Diko, SK
dc.contributor.author	Okyere, SA
dc.contributor.author	Benamba, C
dc.date.accessioned	2024-01-04T23:03:44Z
dc.date.available	2024-01-04T23:03:44Z
dc.date.issued	2023-11-25
dc.identifier.citation	Journal of Social and Economic Development, 2023, 25, (1), pp. 232-258
dc.identifier.issn	0972-5792
dc.identifier.issn	2199-6873
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/174017
dc.description.abstract	Semiarid savannah agro-ecological zones are considered climate vulnerability hotspots. In Ghana, smallholder farmers in such agro-ecological zones are impacted by climate change due to their agro-based livelihoods, subsistence nature and extensive reliance on rain-fed agriculture. For such climate vulnerability hotspots, scholars and policymakers recommend varied strategies to help smallholder farmers adapt to climate change. Yet, how smallholder farmers value and prioritize these varied strategies is limited. This paper combines an ethnographic method with pairwise ranking as a participatory technique to capture small holder farmers’ prioritization of strategies to tackle climate change impacts in the Talensi district, a semiarid savannah agro-ecological zone in Ghana. Results showed that small holder farmers prioritize and adapt on-farm and of-farm strategies to build their capaci ties against climate change impacts. However, some of the strategies prioritized by small holder farmers such as illegal small-scale mining and burning and selling charcoal have maladaptive ramifcations as they could exacerbate climate change impacts. The study calls for policy sensitivity to climate vulnerabilities of semiarid agro-ecological zones through the design and implementation of climate action plans that recognize smallholder farmers’ adaptation priorities, understand lived experiences, and integrate indigenous knowledge to tackle climate change impacts.
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	Springer
dc.relation.ispartof	Journal of Social and Economic Development
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1007/s40847-022-00208-x
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	1402 Applied Economics
dc.subject.classification	3502 Banking, finance and investment
dc.subject.classification	3801 Applied economics
dc.subject.classification	4404 Development studies
dc.title	Prioritization of climate change adaptation strategies by smallholder farmers in semi-arid savannah agro-ecological zones: insights from the Talensi District, Ghana
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	25
utslib.location.activity	Ghana
utslib.for	1402 Applied Economics
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/DVC (Research)
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/DVC (Research)/Institute For Sustainable Futures
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	false
dc.date.updated	2024-01-04T23:03:43Z
pubs.issue	1
pubs.publication-status	Published online
pubs.volume	25
utslib.citation.issue	1

Abstract:

Semiarid savannah agro-ecological zones are considered climate vulnerability hotspots. In Ghana, smallholder farmers in such agro-ecological zones are impacted by climate change due to their agro-based livelihoods, subsistence nature and extensive reliance on rain-fed agriculture. For such climate vulnerability hotspots, scholars and policymakers recommend varied strategies to help smallholder farmers adapt to climate change. Yet, how smallholder farmers value and prioritize these varied strategies is limited. This paper combines an ethnographic method with pairwise ranking as a participatory technique to capture small holder farmers’ prioritization of strategies to tackle climate change impacts in the Talensi district, a semiarid savannah agro-ecological zone in Ghana. Results showed that small holder farmers prioritize and adapt on-farm and of-farm strategies to build their capaci ties against climate change impacts. However, some of the strategies prioritized by small holder farmers such as illegal small-scale mining and burning and selling charcoal have maladaptive ramifcations as they could exacerbate climate change impacts. The study calls for policy sensitivity to climate vulnerabilities of semiarid agro-ecological zones through the design and implementation of climate action plans that recognize smallholder farmers’ adaptation priorities, understand lived experiences, and integrate indigenous knowledge to tackle climate change impacts.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/174017