Climatic variability and livelihood diversification among small-scale rice farmers in Bahi sub-basin, Tanzania
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Date
2019
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Abstract
Climate variability is a major challenge facing small-scale farmers in semi-arid of
developing countries. Farmers employ various ways to cope with climate variability.
However, scant information is available on livelihoods diversification to ensure
livelihoods security. Livelihoods diversification is commonly acknowledged as the means
to increase income. Therefore, this paper is an attempt to bridge information gap on
livelihoods diversification among small-scale rice farmers in Bahi sub-basin. Analysing
determinants of livelihood diversification, to better understanding farmers’ strategic
behaviour in the event of climatic variability, is important for formulation of development
policies. Qualitative and quantitative information were collected and analysed to validate
the study objectives. Regression model was used to assess factors influencing livelihoods
diversification. Findings show that climate variability increases likelihood of
diversification, suggesting the importance of diversification as a response to constraints
imposed by climatic variability. Unfavourable rainfall made farmers likely to diversify
income. However, the study concludes that farmers have low asset ownership for
livelihoods diversification; farm productivity is declining due to rainfall variability and
an apparent lack of public investment in infrastructure to reduce the risk of rain-fed
agriculture. Therefore, there is urgency for promoting water harvesting and irrigation;
increasing access to agricultural-technologies; support diversification; and skills
development.
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Keywords
Climate variability, adaptation, livelihoods diversification, small-scale rice farmers, rain-fed agriculture