Environmental Response Strategies on Climate Change for Enhancing Sustainable Smallholder Farmers’ Livelihoods in Selected Communities of Bushbuckridge North, South Africa

Résumé fourni par la source

Climate change has overwhelmingly affected agrarian reform food security and livelihoods in South Africa. Executing climate change response strategies is critical for meeting the demand for food and poverty alleviation. This study examined environmental response strategies for climate change to enhance sustainable livelihoods among smallholder farmers in Bushbuckridge, Ehlanzeni District, Mpumalanga, South Africa. The objective of the study was to investigate climate change response strategies and focus on effective adaptation strategies for smallholder farmers. The study used a structured questionnaire with surveyed samples of 300 respondents. Data were collected from June to August 2023 using a random sampling method to ensure representative results and a pre-test of questionnaires was undertaken with 30 smallholder farmers in the community. This is to eradicate inconsistencies and correct ambiguous statements that may have been inadvertently included in the questionnaire. Further, enumerators were carefully chosen and trained to effectively administer the survey, focusing on data collection methods, questionnaire comprehension, and ethics. Enumerators that were fluent in local languages (Xitsonga and Sepedi) ensured cultural sensitivity. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 28 was employed for data analysis. The binary logistic regression model was employed to analyze the relationships between socio-demographic variables and the dependent variables. The findings present significant positive correlations revealing that the level of education (P<0.014), farming experience (P<0.053), household size (P< .007), and land fertility (P<0.047), positively influenced the adoption of environmental response strategies for enhancing sustainable livelihoods of smallholder farmers in the study area. This study underscores the vital role of environmental response strategies for climate change while also exploring measures to improve farmers' livelihoods. The study recommends that investigating environmental response strategies for climate change informs evidence-based policy discourse and decisions, ultimately contributing to a climate-resilient future for South Africa. By understanding and implementing effective strategies, South Africa can protect its biodiversity, enhance food security, and promote sustainable development. Key words: Climate change, response strategies, smallholder farmers, sustainable livelihoods, livelihoods, food security

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