Managing climate related stresses in southern Africa’s agricultural sector

Abstract

Southern Africa is expected to experience further increases in temperature and declining rainfall patterns as well as increased frequency of extreme climate events (such as droughts and floods) as a result of climate change. These changes are predicted to have differential impacts on agricultural productivity and food security and other economic sectors across spatial and temporal scales. Changes in climate are expected to be detrimental to main sources of livelihoods (e.g. agricultural activities, water and natural products) for most poor smallholder farmers who have limited capacity to adapt. The adverse effects of climate change on agricultural and other livelihood sources threaten efforts and progress made in improving food security, poverty reduction and other programmes aimed at attaining the Millennium Development Goals in the region. It is therefore necessary to find ways of helping farmers adapt to reduce these negative effects from climate related stresses. Providing alternative adaptation options for farmers will make significant contributions in improving agricultural productivity and food security as well as help reduce poverty in the region. This paper discusses alternative ways that farmers can use to help reduce the adverse impacts from stresses due to changes in climate. The study is based on synthesis of secondary information from various studies on climate change in the region. Some of the important ways to help farmers adapt to climate change include: promoting diversification of livelihood options, enhancing innovations in farming systems, building social networks to help build capacity of communities to work together and capitalize on indigenous knowledge systems as well as improving accessibility to resources such as credit, inputs, and information (seasonal climate forecasts, agricultural production and management practices). National policies also need to support research and development that prepares the appropriate technologies to help farmers adapt to climate related stresses such as drying and increased warming