Climate Variability Risk Perception on Rainfed Agricultural Practices among Small-Scale Farmers in Embu County, Kenya

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dc.contributor.advisorJames Koskeen_US
dc.contributor.advisorEvelyn Chitechi Wemalien_US
dc.contributor.authorAdiel, Ruth Kangai
dc.date.accessioned2022-03-31T05:43:40Z
dc.date.available2022-03-31T05:43:40Z
dc.date.issued2021
dc.descriptionA Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Studies (Climate Change and Sustainability) in the School of Environmental Studies of Kenyatta University, 2021en_US
dc.description.abstractAgricultural productivity is a function of climate variability and its associated impact on farming practices and farmers’ adaptive capacity. Small-scale farmers in the study area have involuntarily engaged in climate variability adaptation mechanisms. This study was instigated to assess the extent of variation in temperature and rainfall, analyze the economic impact of climate variability on crop and livestock production, examine climate variability risk perceptions, adaptation mechanisms and how they influence rainfed agricultural practices, determine farmer and farm characteristics that influence climate variability perceptions and adaptation, and assess the effectiveness of institutions and information channels in facilitating climate variability adaptation mechanisms and risk perception. The research design involved a descriptive survey that allowed the collection of both qualitative and quantitative data. The sampling procedure involved a multi-stage sampling procedure to obtain 411 respondents, purposive sampling for 10 key informants, and quota sampling techniques to select 5 focus groups. Data were analyzed by the use of descriptive statistics, the Mann Kendall test, Logit regression, chi-square, Likert scale analysis, and the use of variables produced through the Ricardian model and Heckman approach. Results show that there is climate variability and the rise in maximum temperature and rainfall variability are significant at P<0.002 with a 0.02ºC increase in temperatures and a 10.2mm decline in rainfall amount per year. Economic impact on crop and livestock production indicated that temperature rise affects crop net revenue negatively and that of mixed farming positively respectively at p≤0.05. Apart from climate variability, other factors were found to influence the net revenue of the three sectors such as distance to the market centers, size of land under cultivation, level of education, and soil fertility. The farmers perceived climate variability as real. The perception was expressed in terms of extreme changes in both rainfall and temperatures. The majority (85.4%) observed the outbreak of crop pests and diseases as a result of climate variability. Whereas 97.6% of the respondents perceived that training and extension services would minimize the negative impact of climate variability on agricultural practices. However, 86.4% attributed the failure to the adaptation of climate change to inadequate time. Perception and adaptation were influenced by gender, social networks, education, extension services, land size, and age. Both formal and informal institutions exist in the study area and among the formal institution cooperative societies were the most influential in the adaptation of climate variability while Departments of Agriculture and Livestock Development were more likely to influence small-scale farmers on climate variability risk perception. Access to credit and extension services were more likely to attract farmers to membership in informal institutions. However, only formal institutions were significant (P≤0.05) in improving farmers' perception and adaptation to climatic variability. Five information channels namely, farmer to farmer, agro Vets, radio, lifetime experience, and school knowledge were more likely to influence farmers’ perception and adaptation mechanisms. This study concludes that there is climate variability which leads to an economic impact on agricultural practices and adaptive capacity is influenced by climate change risk perceptions, institutions, and the dissemination of information. This study recommends that the Department of livestock and that of Agriculture continuously provide climate-related information for effective risk perception and adaptation to climate change by small-scale farmers.en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipKenyatta Universityen_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/23432
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherKenyatta Universityen_US
dc.subjectClimate Variability Risk Perceptionen_US
dc.subjectRainfed Agricultural Practicesen_US
dc.subjectSmall-Scale Farmersen_US
dc.subjectEmbu Countyen_US
dc.subjectKenyaen_US
dc.titleClimate Variability Risk Perception on Rainfed Agricultural Practices among Small-Scale Farmers in Embu County, Kenyaen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
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