Effectiveness of indigenous knowledge in adaptation to climate change for maize and beans production: A case of Mbeya rural, Mbeya region
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Date
2014
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The University of Dodoma
Abstract
This study aimed at examining indigenous knowledge on climate change adaptation on maize and bean production in Mbeya rural. Basically the study aimed at examining the changes in rainfall and temperature and its impact on maize and bean production in the area as well as addressing the indigenous knowledge used by local people to resist the impacts caused by climate change. Primary data were collected by using questionnaires, interviews with key informants and field observation. SPSS version 16.0 and Microsoft excel were used to encode and analyze data. The result from the field found that there are changes in rainfall, whereby the rainfall is decreasing and temperature is increasing. This has resulted in the decrease in maize and bean production in the area. Local people have applied different indigenous measures in order to resist the effects of climate change. Those measures used were, traditional irrigation, mixed farming, the use of valley bottom cultivation “vinyungu”, and traditional terracing. The study found that even though IK was applied to the area, the effects of climate change still persist such as, in the declining yields of maize and bean production. The study went further to investigate the challenges that local people face while adapting to climate change. The challenges mentioned by respondents during field interview were; low income, shortage number of AEO’s, poor government supports and low agricultural inputs like fertilizers. Although the government has introduced different policies and programs concerning climate change, the study found that there is poor implementation of those policies, which results in the decrease in maize
and beans yields.
Description
Dissertation (MA Natural Resource Management)
Keywords
Mbeya, Indigenous knowledge, Climate change, Maize, Beans, Crop production, Rainfall patterns, Temperature changes, Local people, Traditional irrigation, Mixed farming, Traditional terracing
Citation
Mwalongo, T. (2014). Effectiveness of indigenous knowledge in adaptation to climate change for maize and beans production: A case of Mbeya rural, Mbeya region (Master's dissertation). The University of Dodoma, Dodoma.