Livestock farmers’ perception, perceived impacts, and adaptations to climate change in Koinadugu district, Sierra Leone
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21839/jaar.2022.v7.7675Keywords:
Adaptative response, Barrier, Climatic variables, Farmer’s perception, livestock productionAbstract
Climate change is having a negative influence on agriculture and livestock production systems. This study aims to assess livestock farmers’ perceptions and adaptive responses to climate change in the Koinadugu area of northern Sierra Leone. A sample of 126 livestock farmers was selected from four chiefdoms. The data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire and meteorological time series data. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0 and excel were used to analyze the data. According to the respondents’ socioeconomic characteristics, most farmers (93.7%) were males between 46 and 55 years. The majority of the farmers (58.7%) were married, and family sizes ranged from 5-8 individuals per household. Most of the livestock farmers (59.5%) in the study area had no formal education. Farmers attested to their awareness of climate change by essential indications such as increasing heat waves (77.0%), decreased rainfall (54.0%), and an increase in humidity (82.5%). Feed shortages (x̄ = 4.14), water scarcity (x̄ = 4.10), and higher veterinary care expenditures (x̄ = 4.25) are some of the impacts of climate change on livestock production. Numerous adaptation strategies include livestock reduction (87.3%), animal vaccination (95.2%), and Migration along with animals during the adverse climatic condition (75.4%), which the farmers employ. Lack of capital, inadequate information about climate change, and inadequate infrastructure impede adaptation. The study suggests that the government pursues strong policies to help livestock farmers adjust to climate unpredictability in the long run.
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