Assessing rural farmers perceptions and vulnerability to climate change in uMzinyathi District of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

Abstract

There is little awareness among rural farming communities on their vulnerability to climate change. This paper examined the vulnerabilities of the rural small scale farming communities in the uMzinyathi District of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa to climate change. A survey among 200 households who were randomly chosen but who had lived in the community for over twenty years was conducted. Focus group discussions and key informant interviews were carried out to obtain qualitative data. Over the period 1993 to 2010, average annual temperature had increased by 1.5°C. Rainfall generally decreased over the period 1981 to 2010 with a range of 907 mm. Household perception on extreme climate conditions were a reflection of the quantitative climate data collected. Households were anxious (76%) that they will face negative impacts of climate change in future. Households were evenly distributed across the five vulnerability categories. Perceptions of communities to climate change should be considered by policy makers in advancing strategies to mitigate impacts of climate change. Vulnerability of farmers to climate change could be reduced by investing in early warning systems, providing farmers with information on climate change and farmers seeking alternative livelihood options rather than agriculture. Household specific interventions should be considered in mitigating climate change.

An Analysis of the Differences in Vulnerability to Climate Change: A Review of Rural and Urban Areas in South Africa

“…High incidence and frequency of extreme events such as droughts and floods Ncube et al [42]; Nembilwi et al [43]; Munyai et al [44]; Shisanya & Mafongoya [45] Ofoegbu et al [30]; Udo [46]; Oosthuizen [32]; Goldin et al [31]; Shackleton et al [47]; Orimoloye et al [34]; Membele et al [48]; Williams et al [41]; Hlahla & Hill [35] Gbetibouo et al [36] Stadler [37] Rural and urban areas in South Africa are exposed to droughts and floods. Differences are noted with exposure to drought, mainly in rural areas, while urban areas are more exposed to floods.…”

A Review of Rural Communities’ Vulnerability to Climate Change: The Case of Limpopo Province in South Africa

“…Due to a lack of livelihood assets, rural households in South Africa are vulnerable to the effects of climate change (Ncube et al, 2016). Poor rural communities in South Africa are primarily vulnerable to climate change, resulting in increased hunger and malnutrition (Mugambiwa & Tirivangasi, 2017;Shisanya & Mafongoya, 2017). Similarly, Shackleton and Cobban (2016) show that households whose livelihoods are ecosystem-based have become more susceptible to climate extremes than those that rely on economic livelihoods.…”

The Perceived Impact of Climate Change on the Livelihoods of Smallholder Farmers in Kwazulu-Natal Province, South Africa

“…In South Africa, climate change studies have mainly focused on farmers' perception and adaptation to climate change [8,14,[20][21][22]. Moreover, there are very few studies that have looked at the impact of climate change on the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, and most of these studies have not focused on KwaZulu-Natal but on other regions in South Africa [17,23].…”