Adaptation to climate change by rice farmers in Upper Zambezi watershed, Zambia

Bc. Vraj Ureshkumar Thakar

Master's thesis

Abstract:

One of the biggest challenges to sustainable development today is climatic variability and change, which negatively impacts the sustainability and productivity of farming systems. This is particularly relevant for resource-poor farmers in less developed regions who have only limited options for coping strategies. This master’s thesis focuses on small-scale rice farmers in the Barotse floodplain of western Zambia and aims to explore observed changes in the cropping calendar in response to climate variability and the adoption of improved rice varieties. Data were collected through a series of group discussions with key farmers, interviews with local authorities and a household survey, which allowed the identification of variables that influence the decision to adopt improved rice varieties in response to climate variability. Various methods were used to analyse the data. To understand farmers' decisions on changes in the cropping calendar, descriptive analysis was used. To understand factors that influenced the decision on the adaptation of improved rice variety, a logistic regression model was used. The results show that female farmers with more years of education, irrigation facilities and off-farm income adopted improved rice varieties and did not rely on possible shifts in rice cropping calendars. Relevant stakeholders (extension services, cooperatives, development organisations and government) should therefore provide more training to women to increase the sustainability and effectiveness of the adoption of improved varieties and work with farmers who are still using traditional varieties to improve their calendars to mitigate the negative effects of climate change.

Keywords

food security, farming system, diversification, Western province, rainfall, irrigation system

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 22. 4. 2023

Thesis defence

• Date of defence: 31. 5. 2023
• Supervisor: Ing. Vladimír Verner, Ph.D.
• Reader: Martin Schlossarek, externi

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences

Master programme:
Agri-food Systems and Rural Development