CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTS ON SMALLHOLDER FARMERS’ LIVELIHOODS: THE CASE OF EJURA/SEKYEDUMASI MUNICIPAL OF THE ASHANTI REGION OF GHANA

ABSTRACT Climate change is causing unusual, unpredictable and extreme weather events in the Ejura/Sekyedumasi Municipal. Although this level of exposure to climate change affects everyone in the Municipality, its impacts are differently distributed between men and women. The main objective of this study was to analyse the effects of climate change on the livelihoods of both men and women smallholder farmers. The study employed both primary and secondary data. Multistage sampling techniques were used to select the respondents. The DFID and Oxfam Livelihood Approaches guided the analyses. The study identified that both men and women smallholder farmers’ perceived climate change as serious threat to their livelihoods with more women being adversely affected. Reasons were attributed to the gender roles that exist in the Municipality. In contrast, the Phi correlation test showed a positive and significant relationship between climate change and women’s livelihoods. This implies that climate change impacts positively impact on women’s livelihoods whiles it adversely affect the men’s. In the face of climate change, men and women smallholder farmers adopt coping strategies to safeguard their livelihoods. Majority of the women adopted on-farm coping strategies such as diversification of crops or changing planting/harvesting dates. Most men adopted off-farm and non-farm coping strategies such as working as labourers on other farms or migrate to the cities for better income opportunities. The study recommends that, climate change awareness programmes should target both sexes, in order to build their capacity to cope with the stresses and uncertainties of local livelihoods. Also, since the impacts affect the most vulnerable in the society of which women are the majority, it is necessary to include their voices, needs, and expertise in climate change debate, policy and programming so as to design appropriate measures to help address the challenges.