Factors affecting smallholder farmers’ responsiveness to climate variability induced hazards in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Increasingly, unpredictable weather poses challenges to livelihoods as it requires greater investment of time, energy, and resources in order to maintain crops and animals through dry spells. Vulnerability to climate variability induced hazards can be reduced successfully with an understanding of the most vulnerable to the impacts and how the interactions between nature and society shape the underlying factors that contribute to vulnerability. This study analysed the factors affecting responsiveness of smallholder farmers to climate variability induced hazards. Cross-sectional data were collected using a household  administered questionnaire from 300 randomly selected households from Seke and Murewa districts in Zimbabwe. Principal Component Analysis was used to identify and narrow the list into core uncorrelated factors. The Logistic regression model was then used to ascertain the influence of the identified socioeconomic factors and perceptions on responsiveness. The results reveal that productive assets had influence on responsiveness, but perceptions did not influence responsiveness. In conclusion, access to resources affects farmers’ adjustments to reduce impacts of hazards.