Effects Of Climate Change On Agricultural Production. Case Study Of Kisumu District, Nyanza Province In Kenya.

ABSTRACT

Kisumu District is an administrative District of Nyanza Province in western Kenya with a population

of 504, 359 and a land area of 912 square kilometers. The main industries are subsistence agriculture

and fisheries on Lake Victoria. It falls within the coordinates of 0 55” south and 34 55” east. The main

type of soils is ferrasols. It experiences a bimodal type of rainfall. The minimum temperature is 15

Celsius while the mean maximum temperature is 36 Celsius. Humidity is relatively high.

The study was both descriptive in design, and it based on primary and secondary data to establish the

magnitude of the problem. The primary methods included interview, questionnaire and observation. It

gave a chance for ground truthing or counter checking with the secondary data which was obtained

from numerous books, newsletters and journals. A sample of 20 farmers and five agricultural

extensionists were used to aid in data collection

The major objective of the study was to find out the main effect of climate change on agriculture

production, while the specific objectives included identifying causes and effects of climate change

among others. The major findings of the cause of climate change was production of greenhouse gases

especially carbon dioxide from human activities which include agricultural production,

industrialization, burning of fossil fuels and deforestation.

Recommendations in the study included placing a worldwide cap on carbon dioxide emissions

by limiting the use of fossil fuels in industry and transportation, accelerating international

agreements to completely phase out CFCs, stopping the loss of tropical forests and encouraging planting of trees over vast areas now suffering from deforestation, among others.