Baffour-Ata Frank, Awugyi Margaret, Ofori Norberta Sitsofe, Hayfron Efua Nyansema, Amekudzi Christian Elorm, Ghansah Anita, Akorli Ruth
Department of Environmental Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
Heliyon. 2023 Feb 27;9(3):e14090. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14090. eCollection 2023 Mar.
This study assessed the factors affecting yam farmers' adaptation practices to climate variability in the Ejura Sekyedumase Municipality, Ghana. Primary data was collected through 160 household surveys and 8 key informant interviews. Binary logistic regression was used to assess the factors affecting the yam farmers' choice of adaptation practices. Findings revealed that the yam farmers perceived climate variability through changes in the onset and patterns of rainfall, increasing windstorms, and rising temperatures. The yam farmers perceived the adverse effects of climate variability on their yam production to include a reduction in yam yields (98%), decreased income of farmers (97%), and reduced soil fertility (97%). Findings also showed that the yam farmers utilized key adaptation practices including changing the planting period of yam (88%), planting early-maturing yam seeds/varieties (86%), and intercropping yam with other crops (84%). The key adaptation practices implemented by the farmers were significantly affected by socioeconomic factors including age, years of stay in the community, household size, access to extension services, marital status, education, farming experience, access to climate information, estimated farm size, and estimated farm income ( < 0.05). The empirical findings of this study reinforce the importance of policymakers devising suitable climate variability adaptation policies for yam farmers in Ghana while taking into cognizance the socioeconomic factors that could affect their adoption of such adaptation practices.
本研究评估了影响加纳埃朱拉-塞凯杜马塞市山药种植户应对气候变化适应措施的因素。通过对160户家庭进行调查和与8名关键信息提供者进行访谈收集了原始数据。采用二元逻辑回归分析来评估影响山药种植户适应措施选择的因素。研究结果显示，山药种植户通过降雨开始时间和模式的变化、风暴增加以及气温上升感知到了气候变化。山药种植户认为气候变化对其山药生产的不利影响包括山药产量下降（98%）、农民收入减少（97%）以及土壤肥力降低（97%）。研究结果还表明，山药种植户采用了关键适应措施，包括改变山药种植期（88%）、种植早熟山药种子/品种（86%）以及山药与其他作物间作（84%）。农民实施的关键适应措施受到社会经济因素的显著影响，这些因素包括年龄、在社区居住年限、家庭规模、获得推广服务的机会、婚姻状况、教育程度、务农经验、获得气候信息的机会、估计农场规模以及估计农场收入（<0.05）。本研究的实证结果强化了政策制定者为加纳山药种植户制定合适的气候变化适应政策的重要性，同时要考虑到可能影响他们采用此类适应措施的社会经济因素。
