Vulnerability of Smallholder Sorghum Farmers to Climate Variability in a heterogeneous landscape of South- Western Uganda

Abstract

Vulnerability assessment in climate change and variability literature is a concept that cannot be underestimated as it is a benchmark for policy makers to building adaptive capacity of vulnerable groups. In Africa, climate variability will aggravate the already negative state of affairs including stinking poverty, illiteracy, lack of skills, weak institutions, limited infrastructure, lack of technology and information. Highland areas are particularly at risk owing to conditioning factors like altitude and topography that households have no control over and smallholder farmers in this respect will be hit hardest due to reliance on rain fed agriculture, climate sensitive resources, poverty and high marginalization. The study was entrenched in Political Ecology and Climate Vulnerability Capability Assessment frameworks. The overall objective of this study was to assess vulnerability of smallholder sorghum farmers to climate variability in Kigezi highlands; by analyzing exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity of smallholder sorghum farmers in three altitudinal zones of Bubare, Kashambya and Kamwezi. A total of 230 households were sampled. Household survey, Key Informant interviews and Focus Group Discussions were used to obtain data on exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity indicators. Rainfall data was obtained from Uganda National Meteorological Authority. Quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS (version 23) and STATA to generate descriptive and inferential statistics notably; Means, Percentages, Standard Deviations, Chi-square and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Results on exposure index indicate Bubare to be most exposed (2.4) followed by Kashambya (2.3) and Kamwezi (0.7) whereas the sensitivity index indicates Kashambya to be most (2.9) sensitive followed by Bubare (1.9) and Kamwezi (0.4). On the other hand, adaptive capacity index presents Bubare with highest (2.0) adaptive capacity followed by Kamwezi (0.9) and Kashambya (-1.1). The overall vulnerability index results indicate that Kashambya is the most vulnerable (6.9) followed by Bubare (1.8) while Kamwezi is the least vulnerable (-0.2). Results of the study hypothesis confirmed vulnerability of smallholder sorghum farmers to climate variability to significantly vary across the altitudinal zones (P<0.05). The study concludes that smallholder sorghum farmers in Kashambya and Bubare are highly vulnerable to climate variability. The study further recommends household mainstreamed development policies, infrastructural development, timely dissemination of weather information to farmers, field extension workers, rural credit schemes for the farmers as well as micro irrigation facilities.