Household Socio-Economic Factors and Adoption of Climate Change Adaptation Strategies: The Case of Same District, Tanzania

Abstract

This paper is a result of a cross sectional survey conducted in Same District to analyze the influence of household socioeconomic factors  on adoption of climate change adaptation strategies. Primary data were collected through questionnaire administered to 113 small  farming households. Secondary data were obtained through documentary review. Frequencies, percentages, Chi-square test and binary  logistic model were used to interpret the data. Chi-square test showed that the use of improved seeds was statistically associated with  farm size, age and education level of the household head while use of fertilizer was associated with household size and farm size whereas intercropping had statistical association with farm size. Binary logistic model results indicated that a unit increase of farm size decreased  the probability to use improved seed and increased the probability to use fertilizer. A unit increase of age below 30 years decreased the  probability to use inter-cropping; it increased the use of on-farm rain water harvest. The study concluded that adoption of different  climate change adaptation strategies is influenced by age, household size and farm size. It is recommended that formulation of climate  change policy should consider the influence of socioeconomic factors such as household size, farm size and age on adoption of  adaptation strategies.