Effect of rainfall variability on farming practices and adaptation among households of Kisii Central Sub-County, Kenya

Abstract

Agricultural productivity in Kenya, as in many developing countries, is significantly affected by rainfall variability. The reliability of the rain for agricultural purposes has reduced in the recent years due to climate variability. In the study area, there is a continued trend of more frequent and intense climate related disasters which is expected to have significant impacts on the livelihood activities. Most studies on the impact of climate variability on farming practices and the response strategies have mainly focused on arid and semi-arid regions of Kenya and have mainly used community level data. Information on actual dynamics of rainfall variability at household in high potential areas like Kisii is scanty. This study therefore aimed at determining the effect of rainfall variability on farming practices and adaptation as perceived by households of Kisii Central Sub County. The specific objectives were to identify the weather shocks associated with rainfall, assess the relationship between households‟ characteristics and perception of the effects of rainfall variability on farming practices, identify the adaptation strategies adopted by households and establish the relationship between households‟ characteristics and adaptation strategies adopted to enhance resilience against rainfall variability in Kisii Central Sub County. Structured questionnaires were administered to a proportionate random sample of 120 households from the four administrative wards of the Sub County. Data from questionnaires were also complemented by oral interviews with key informants from Water Resources Management Authority (WRMA), Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) (currently Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), Ministry of Agriculture, FGDs and secondary data. Descriptive statistics as well as inferential statistics technique have been used to analyze data with the help of Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS version 20). Inferential statistics technique employed the use of Chi-square (χ2) test to analyze data. To make reliable inferences from the data, all statistical tests were subjected to a test of significance at coefficient alpha (α-level) equal to 0.05. Coefficient of determination (R2) was used to determine inter-annual rainfall variability index. The study reveals that gross changes in rainfall patterns were noticed in the past ten years in the study area. Some of the most severe effect of rainfall variability on the farming practices includes feed shortage for livestock, water resource decrease, pest attack, drought, soil erosion and disease epidemic. This study concluded that gross changes in rainfall patterns have been noticed in the past ten years in the study area leading to a negative effect on the household farming practices. This study recommends that the government (County and national) should realize the urgent need for measures that are geared towards reversing the negative impact of climate change and especially rainfall variability in the study area. There should be efforts in putting in force appropriate measures and policies that are aimed at reducing the farming problems in the study area that relate to feed shortage, water resource decrease, pest attack, drought, soil erosion and disease epidemic.