Regional Sustainability ›› 2024, Vol. 5 ›› Issue (3): 100157.doi: 10.1016/j.regsus.2024.100157cstr: 32279.14.j.regsus.2024.100157

• Full Length Article • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Climatic and non-climatic factors driving the livelihood vulnerability of smallholder farmers in Ahafo Ano North District, Ghana

Frank BAFFOUR-ATAa,*(), Louisa BOAKYEa, Moses Tilatob GADOa, Ellen BOAKYE-YIADOMa, Sylvia Cecilia MENSAHa, Senyo Michael KWAKU KUMFOa, Kofi Prempeh OSEI OWUSUa, Emmanuel CARRa, Emmanuel DZIKUNUa, Patrick DAVIESb   

  1. aDepartment of Environmental Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, AK-039-5028, Ghana
    bDepartment of Meteorology and Climate Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, AK-039-5028, Ghana
  • Received:2023-08-19 Revised:2024-03-13 Accepted:2024-08-24 Published:2024-09-30 Online:2024-09-25
  • Contact: Frank BAFFOUR-ATA E-mail:ata.frank@yahoo.com

Abstract:

Smallholder farmers in Ahafo Ano North District, Ghana, face multiple climatic and non-climatic issues. This study assessed the factors contributing to the livelihood vulnerability of smallholder farmers in this district by household surveys with 200 respondents and focus group discussions (FGDs) with 10 respondents. The Mann-Kendall trend test was used to assess mean annual rainfall and temperature trends from 2002 to 2022. The relative importance index (RII) value was used to rank the climatic and non-climatic factors perceived by respondents. The socioeconomic characteristics affecting smallholder farmers’ perceptions of climatic and non-climatic factors were evaluated by the binary logistic regression model. Results showed that mean annual rainfall decreased (P>0.05) but mean annual temperature significantly increased (P<0.05) from 2002 to 2022 in the district. The key climatic factors perceived by smallholder farmers were extreme heat or increasing temperature (RII=0.498), erratic rainfall (RII=0.485), and increased windstorms (RII=0.475). The critical non-climatic factors were high cost of farm inputs (RII=0.485), high cost of healthcare (RII=0.435), and poor condition of roads to farms (RII=0.415). Smallholder farmers’ perceptions of climatic and non-climatic factors were significantly affected by their socioeconomic characteristics (P<0.05). This study concluded that these factors negatively impact the livelihoods and well-being of smallholder farmers and socioeconomic characteristics influence their perceptions of these factors. Therefore, to enhance the resilience of smallholder farmers to climate change, it is necessary to adopt a comprehensive and context-specific approach that accounts for climatic and non-climatic factors.

Key words: Smallholder farmers, Livelihood vulnerability, Climate change, Socioeconomic characteristics, Food security, Ghana