Assessment Of Climate Change Adaptation Strategies For Crops Production In Semi Arid Areas: Case Of Hombolo Region

ABSTRACT

This study aimed at assessing Climate Change Adaptation Strategies (CCAS) in crops production in semi-arid areas. The study focused on assessing the effectiveness of climate change adaptation on maize and grapes production in Hombolo. Specifically, the study assessed how climate change variability affected crops; assessing different strategies used to address the impacts of CC on crops production and investigating challenges to implement CCAS in the production of crops. Oral interviews, questionnaires and field observation were used to collect primary data from key informants and farmers. Secondary data were collected through documentary review. SPSS version 16.0 and Microsoft Excel was used to encode and analyse data. The study found out that, the average maximum temperature is increasing while the annual rainfall is decreasing with time. Drying of crops particularly maize, crops to become stagnant, decrease of maize yields and increase of crop pests and diseases in both crops were the main CC effects to maize and grapes production. Maize was the most affected crop in the study area. In response to that, the local community had applied measures such as shifting cultivation, intercroping, application of crop pesticides, irrigation, planting drought tolerant crops, plantation of short term grains and changing of crops (crop rotation). The government interventions in the study area included; establishment of seed development researches, construction of irrigation schemes, introduction of short term seeds, recruitment of Agriculture Extension Officers (AEOs). The study found that there were only small achievements in adaptation and mitigation due to several challenges like; poor capital, lack of subsidised agriculture v inputs as well as lack of agricultural education; and there was poor implementation of government policies in the study area. Therefore, there is a need of providing education about CCAS, subsidising agricultural inputs, subsidizing agricultural equipments, providing soft loans and credits, providing pesticides, planting early maturity plants, planting drought tolerant crops, improving irrigation farming, improving Farmer Field Schools, improving cooperation, employing more AEOs and applying fertilizer. Finally the study recommends measures such as; the government to provide farmers with timely forecasting information on weather and climatic conditions, drought resistant and short duration high yielding crops. Also the government should make easy access to farmers of scientific information about CCAS.