TITLE:
Assessing Gender Vulnerability to Climate Change among Avocado Smallholder Farmers: The Case of Southern Tanzania Highlands
AUTHORS:
Triphonia Jacob Ngailo, Edwin Rutalebwa
KEYWORDS:
Livelihood Vulnerability, Climate Change and Variability, Gender, Smallholder Farmers, Southern Highlands of Tanzania
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.12 No.12,
December
17,
2024
ABSTRACT: Climate change is impacting on climate dependent activities such as Avocado farming in Tanzania. The extent of the impact of climate change in agriculture depends on the level of vulnerability or exposure of farmers to these impacts. This study addresses gender vulnerabilities to Avocado smallholder farmers to climate change in the Southern Highlands regions of Tanzania where the temperature and rainfall stresses are relevant using the Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) and tested for significant difference in their vulnerability levels by applying independent two sample student’s t-test based on gender by using a sample of 104 Avocado smallholder farming. The results in this study revealed that both male and female avocado farmers were vulnerable to the effects of climate change and variability, but the vulnerabilities varied with gender. Female small holder farmers were more vulnerable to socio-demographic profile, livelihood strategies, social network, water and food major components of the LVI, whereas were more vulnerable to social network and health. The vulnerability indices revealed that female small holder farmers were more sensitive to the impact of climate change and variability. It was also found that female small holder farmers have the least adaptive capacities. In all, female small holder farmers are more vulnerable to climate change and variability than male. There is a need for better gender-sensitive approaches to adaptation planning and implementation to ensure that both men and women have equal opportunities to benefit from adaptation options in agriculture.