Zeitschrift für Geowissenschaften und Klimawandel

Abstrakt

Analyzing impact of climate change on sustainable livelihood and water resources in Wa West District, Upper West Region- Ghana

Clifford James Fagariba, Robert Yakubu Adjuik, Asaah Sumaila Mohammed

According to research findings, the impact of climate change on sustainable livelihoods is most visible in agriculture, where changes in precipitation patterns, high temperatures, and the frequency of extreme weather events are disrupting crop and livestock productivity, including water resources. The Wa West District was used as a case study by the researchers to assess the impact of climate change on agriculture and water resources. The logic regression model was used in the study to determine the adaptation and mitigation strategies that indigenous peoples were employing to build their resilience to climate change. The study also used a weighted average index to assess the impact of climate change on agriculture and water resources (WAI). A total of 330 small-scale farmers were surveyed, and focus group discussions included 100 key informants. The study found that improved seeds, irrigation, fertilizer use, and agroforestry were the adaptation strategies used to build farmer resilience using the logistic regression model. The most common effects of climate change on livelihood were water scarcity, high temperatures, poor soil fertility, and poor yield, according to a Weighted Average Index. In addition, the preferred mitigation strategies used in the study area to reduce vulnerability were input subsidies, access to weather information, dam construction, and improved agricultural policies. Furthermore, the study found that the most preferred climate change adaptation strategies were agroforestry practices, drought-resistant crops, and mulching. According to the study, farmers' ability to adapt to climate change can be improved if the Environmental Protection Agency, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, and the Forestry Commission intensify climate adaptation campaigns, increase access to weather information, and train farmers on adaptable and mitigation strategies, water resource conservation, and alternative sources of livelihood.