Assessing the Socio-economic Vulnerability of Smallholder Farmers to Climate Variability in Rwanda: Case Study of Rice Farmers in Bugesera District Jean

Abstract

Rwanda has experienced the climate variability with regard to frequency, intensity and persistence of extremes such as heavy rainfall which resulted serious floods, prolonged drought and climatologic parameters. Changing in temperature and precipitations due to climate variability has affected poor people particularly; smallholder farmers who rely mostly on rain feed agriculture for their livelihood. The purpose of this study was to assess the socio-economic vulnerability of smallholder farmers to climate variability effects in Rwanda by focussing on rice farmers in Bugesera District. The data used in this study were collected by using different methods and techniques including review of existing published and unpublished reports, analysis of meteorology data, field observation, household questionnaire and interviews. For data analysis, SPSS and Microsoft Excel software were used. The research findings revealed that the rice production in Bugesera District has been affected by fluctuation of rainfall and increased of temperature which tremendously affects socio- economically the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. In this framework, the research findings revealed that 90% of rice farmers observed the reduction of rice production due to climate variability, leading to the problem of food crisis, while 85% reported difficulties in paying school fees for their children as well as recruiting new staff in farming related activities. In adaptation to these climate variability effects, rice farmers have adopted different adaptation measures to cope with the impact of drought and floods such as investing in irrigation mechanisms (52%), use of drought resistant rice varieties (25%), use of pesticides and insecticides (9%) and investing in drainage system. In addition to rice farmers efforts, public and government supports for irrigation infrastructure should be increased including the construction of water reservoir to collect water for irrigation purpose during dry season and affordable agriculture inputs and pesticides to increase soil nutrients and combat with pests should be taken into account by the government for better sustainable solution to climate variability effects.