The perceived impact of climate change on the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Kwazulu-Natal Province, South Africa

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dc.date.accessioned 2024-11-21T10:02:53Z
dc.date.available 2024-11-21T10:02:53Z
dc.date.issued 2024-04-08 en
dc.identifier.issn 2071-1050 en
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11910/23321
dc.description.abstract Smallholder farming is an important livelihood strategy for rural households in developing countries. Climate change and variability threaten the sustenance of livelihoods and hinder efforts to eradicate poverty and food insecurity. Although perception studies on climate change and coping mechanisms have been conducted in KwaZulu-Natal Province, little has been done on livelihoods analysis. This study uses the Sustainable Livelihood Framework for livelihoods analysis of smallholder farmers in the uMkhanyakude district of KwaZulu-Natal Province in South Africa. Survey data were collected from a sample of 400 smallholder farmers in two local municipalities of the district, using a stratified random sampling procedure. Focus group discussions were used to augment survey data. Descriptive statistics were generated to analyse quantitative data, while qualitative data were analysed through thematic analysis. This study found that climate change significantly eroded livelihood assets, posing a threat to the well-being of smallholder farmers. Persistent drought has led to poor crop and livestock productivity, compelling households to rely heavily on food purchases. These findings underscore the urgent need to safeguard the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in the face of climate change. This study recommends that policymakers should focus on policies that enhance the resilience of livelihood assets for farming communities to minimise climatic risk. en
dc.format.medium Print en
dc.subject SMALLHOLDER FARMING en
dc.subject KWAZULU-NATAL PROVINCE en
dc.subject SUSTAINABILITY en
dc.subject RURAL COMMUNITIES en
dc.title The perceived impact of climate change on the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Kwazulu-Natal Province, South Africa en
dc.type Journal Article en
dc.description.version Y en
dc.ProjectNumber N/A en
dc.Volume 16 en
dc.BudgetYear 2023/24 en
dc.ResearchGroup Developmental, Capable and Ethical State en
dc.SourceTitle Sustainability en
dc.ArchiveNumber 9814452 en
dc.PageNumber Online en
dc.outputnumber 15109 en
dc.bibliographictitle Maziya, M., Nkonki-Mandleni, B., Mbizana, N. & Tirivanhu, P. (2024) The perceived impact of climate change on the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Kwazulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Sustainability. 16:Online. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11910/23321 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11910/23321 en
dc.publicationyear 2024 en
dc.contributor.author1 Maziya, M. en
dc.contributor.author2 Nkonki-Mandleni, B. en
dc.contributor.author3 Mbizana, N. en
dc.contributor.author4 Tirivanhu, P. en


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