Phokele Maponya
Agricultural Research Council, South Africa
Title: Climate change status in Mutale local municipality: A case study of smallholder farmers in Vhembe district, Limpopo province
Biography
Biography: Phokele Maponya
Abstract
The Limpopo province is one of the poorest provinces in the country, characterized by high unemployment rate, poverty and lacks of access to a range of resources which results in the majority of the people not being able to secure their livelihoods. The primary aim of this paper was to highlight the status of climate change in the Vhembe district municipality. The following objectives were identified: To describe the status of climate change in the Vhembe district and to identify the determinants of climate change adaptation in the Vhembe district municipality. A representative sample of 150 farmers aged between 18 to 60+ years (46% males and 54% females) participated in the study. The study was conducted in the Vhembe district with special attention being played to the Mutale local municipality. The following two villages were visited: Folovodwe and Rambuda. The purposive sampling method used covered most of the productive farms in the two selected villages and also covered the uniform or homogeneous characteristics of farmers. The sample frame was designed to meet the objectives of the study and it had to adhere to the statistical specifications for accuracy and representativity. The questionnaire was administrated to farmers and included matters relating to climate variability and change. Data was coded, captured and analyzed using SPSS. Descriptive and regressions analyses were conducted. The results showed a positive association among the following variables: Age, female, decreased rainfall, level of education, farming fulltime, climate change information, source of climate information, perception on climate change and climate change adaptation and formal extension.