Smallholder farmers’ perceptions and climate change adaptation in Bolero community in Malawi

Abstract

Smallholder farmers’ perceptions of climate change are very important for their adoption of adaptation strategies. The study assessed smallholder farmers’ perceptions of climate variability and climate change adaptation in Bolero Community, Malawi. The data was collected through knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) survey and focused group discussions. The data was analyzed by using descriptive statistics and chi- square tests. The results showed that majority (74%) of the respondents perceived that the amount of rainfall received by the community over the past 10 years had decreased which was not supported by data from Malawi Meteorological Services. The study revealed that access to climate change information, access to loans, access to water, access to markets would motivate smallholder farmers to adopt climate change adaptation strategies. The policy implications of the study are: Climate change projects should not only focus on technical approaches to increase adoption rates but also to consider social aspects such as perceptions, attitudes and motivating factors to climate change adaptation. Communication based interventions needs to be promoted which will have to move beyond merely sharing information and spreading awareness on climate change issues but should focus on promoting specific behavioral practices that are feasible for the population of Bolero Community to implement.