Investigating Farmers’perception Of Climate Change Impacts On Their Livelihood And Adaptation Strategies In Response To The Adverse Effects Of Forest Fringe Communities In Suakoko District, Bong County

The study reveals climate change impacts on farmers livelihood at local level in Liberia
Their responses to those effects and adaptation strategies in adapting extreme climatic events.
Recommend policy to improve farmers' adaptation capacity to climate change

1. Investigating Farmers’perception Of Climate Change Impacts On Their Livelihood And Adaptation Strategies In Response To The Adverse Effects Of Forest Fringe Communities In Suakoko District, Bong County Joseph D Tokpah ID#: 82194 Mr. Joseph Charles Supevisor Undergraduate Thesis Defense Department of Environment Science and Climate Change University of Liberia 8/24/2024

2. Introduction – Research Background and Significancce Globally climate is changing due to anthropogenic causes Changes in the alteration of rainfall patterns and rising temperatures effect soil moisture water resources Most of the farmers in Liberia practice subsistence farming which significantly depends on rainfall Due to these different climatic events, farmers in the study area have begun to practice some adaptation measures I nability and other associated challenges continue to hinder farmers' adaptative capacity to climate change

3. Significance of the study The study reveals climate change impacts on farmers livelihood at local level in Liberia Their responses to those effects and adaptation strategies in adapting extreme climatic events. Recommend policy to improve farmers' adaptation capacity to climate change

4. Research Objectives General Objective To investigate farmers’ perception of climate change, percecption on impact of climate change on livelihood, and adaptation in response to climate change, and to provide potential recommendations for local farmers in the Suakoko district Specific Objectives To assess farmers’ perception of climate change in the Suakoko district To investigate the impact of cilmate change on the livelihood of farmers in the Suakoko district To identify adaptive strategies that farmers practice when responding to the adverse effects of climate change in the Suakoko district

5. Literature View Farmers perceived perceptions are essential ways to understand climate risks and risk mitigition strategies affecting them. Farmers ' perspectives on the various aspects of climate change are vital for timely readiness, efficient adaptation measures, and context-specific mitigation initiatives Farmers could perceive a greater understanding of climate change due to their reliance on climate-sensitive features, like rainfall and sunshine.

6. Methodology Study Area Suakoko District, the south central portion of Bong County Map of Bong County showing Suakoko district with selected Clans  

7. Methodology Sample Size and Sampling Techniques The goal of this research was to get first-hand information about the climatic activities in Suakoko District I used the purposive sampling size approach or judgemental sampling Judgemental samping focuses on the portion of the population that will help you answer your research questions most effectively (Seif et al., 2016) Forty-three (43) respondents from both targeted Clans (Kpatawee, and Kpoyoqulleh) in Suakoko District participated in the field survey.

8. Methodology Data Collection Instruments A descriptive survey methods was employed for this study Descriptive survey generates data through questionnaire and interviews Data Collection Procedures Consciously, two clams (Kpatawee Clan, and Kporyoquell Clan) were selected in Suakoko District Prepared questionnaires containing open ended in the form of probing questions and closed - ended questions were used to interview the communities A careful review of existing literature relevant to the study was carried out to obtain information and data

9. Methodology Data Analysis Procedures The data collected were coded and analyzed in this study through Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS ). All the selected statements were exposed to the respondents with three response categories as ‘‘agree,’’ ‘‘undecided’’ and ‘‘disagree’’ with (+)1, 0 and (-)1 scores, respectively To determine the impact of climate change on livelihood and their response strategies to adapt, a knowledge- adoption index (KAI) was employed for each strategy (Ganguly 2014 ) KAI = fk + 2fa 2N

10. Results and Discussion Age distructions of respondents   Age Age Group (years) Frequency Percentage % 18 – 30 16 37 31 – 45 19 44 46 Above 8 19 Total 43 100 % Distribution by gender   Gender Gender Frequency Percentage Male 19 44 Female 24 56 Tota 43 100 The data revealed that 56% of the respondents were female, and the results are consistent with the ( World Bank, 2010) report, which states that households with female dominance have a more significant proportion of food crop growers than households with male dominance

11. Respondent educational level   Farmers Education level DifferenceVariable Frequency Percentage % Secondary Education 25 58 Primary Education 13 30 No Education 5 12 Total 43 100 Farming Experince of farmers Farming experienc of farners Difference Variable Frequency Percentage % 5 – 15 years 23 53 16 – 30 years 15 35 31 – 50 years 5 12 Total 43 100 From the findings, it can be said that most of the farmers have formal education in the study area, which would positively influence their perception of climate change and adaptation strategies Given that most of the population (farmers) relies on agriculture for their livelihood, there is a likelihood that their extensive farming experience will help them comprehend how climatic events are changing, which would subsequently lead to a more effective response to the adverse effects of those changes.

12. Perception on climate change Average perception score of 0.64% The overall perception of the district toward change in climate related events and precipitation is high with an average perception score of 0.64 % ( Table 4.3 ) T he results show that, the persistent decline in precipitation is causing a temperature rise that eventually leads to crop failure and low productivity in the district . Almost 97% of the respondents in the district perceived increase in temperature when 92% agreed that the average day and night temperature has increased. percent

13. Change in regularity of climate events Average change in regularity 0.39% The statistics illustrate how respondents perception of the forest fringe temperature has increased and rainfall has decreased over the years which had led to the delay in the onset of rains, and perceive that the changes in the district's weather conditions negatively affect their agricultural output the overall perception of the district toward change in regularity of climate events is medium with average change in regularity 0.39% ( Table 4.4 ) From the graph shown, Majority of the respondents believed that rainfall is becoming unpredictable day by day (96%) percent

14. Impact of climate change on livelihood The average livelihood impact 0.24% . According to the findings, 96% of the respondents perceived that climate change impacts on their livelihood will decrease in their harvest or yield. S how how climate change pose risk to the livelihoods of forest-based communities From the data shown , there was mixed responses of respondents on impact of climate change on their livelihood. The average livelihood impact perception score was 0.24% ( Table 4.5 ) which is low percent

15. Adaptation in response to climate change Average knowledge adoption index score 0.82% Most of the respondents were marginal and poor farmers lacking expertise and capacity on the right measures needed to adopt, and all of these options involve either some financial investment or technical knowhow on which they are not trained Based on the knowledge adoption index score, it can be said that the overall adaptation in response to climate change is medium with average score of 0.82 ( Table 4.6 ). This level of adaptation indicates that the community has adopted one or combination of adaptation options percent

16. Impact of climate change on livelihood Summary Conclusion Based on these results from the survey in the study area, t he data gathered show that women were found to be the majority of the respondents Most the respondents have attained a secondary education level and have farming experience ranging from five to fifteen years A lmost all the respondents perceived a considerable decline in precipitation They believed that their livelihood dependency on forest will decrease in the district The study provides a detailed overview of farmer’s perception on climate change Perception of the district toward change in climate-related events and precipitation was high The district had low average livelihood impact perception ; T he adaptation in response to climate change was at a medium level Recommend a need to support effort by farmers to adapt to effects of climate change.

17. Reference FAO/WFP . (2006). Crop and food security assessment for Liberia FAO. (2019). Increasing Resilience to Climate Change in Liberia UNTS/LIR/018/GCF, FRONTPAGE AFRICA. (2021). Farming In The Heat FRONTPAGE AFRICA. (2022). Liberia: Farmers Say Food Crisis is Looming from Climate Change,1-2 Food Agriculture Organization. (2022). Climate Change. Food and Agriculture Organization Fussel, H. (2007). Adaptation planning for climate change: Concepts, assessment approaches, and key lessons: Sustainability Science, 2(2), 265-275 GIS Geography. (2022). Liberia Map Jena, D., Dibiat, N., Nibal, D. J. (2020). Farmers' Perception on Climate Change and its Measurement Coping Strategies For Food Shortage In Salamieh District

18. Reference Howard, A.B. (2013). BUILDING SEAPORT RESILIENCE FOR CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION: STAKEHOLDER PERCEPTIONS OF THE PROBLEMS, IMPACTS, AND STRATEGIES Indian University. (2022). Strategies for Climate Change Adaptation Ignacluk, A., Magglo, G., Sltko, N. (2021). Adapting to high temperatures: evidence on the impacts of sustainable agricultural practices in Uganda InTeGrate. (2018). Climate Change in the Coupled Human-Natural System International Trade Administration. (2022). Liberia-Country Commercial Guide Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2007). Introduction: Adaptation and Adaptive Capacity

19. Thank You for Listening Question Answer