African Journal of Climate Change and Resource Sustainability

Climate Smart Agriculture in Kenya's ASALS: Gaps and Barriers in Policy Development and Implementation

Thomas Ekamais Akuja, PhD, Jacqueline Jebet Kandagor — Fri, 12 Jan 2024 09:26:59 +0000

This paper presents an evaluation of the gaps and barriers in policy development and implementation with regard to Climate Change in Kenya's arid and semi-arid lands (ASALS). In spite of concerted efforts and considerable attention accorded to the climate change effects in the region, there is little improvement. Through a desktop review of previous studies and policy documents, this paper examines the mitigation measures proposed and interrogates the practicality of these measures as well as the gaps and challenges in formulation and implementation. The ASALS are the most hit by climate change, and they make up 89% of the country's landmass and are home to approximately 20 million people, which translates to 38% of the Kenyan population. The region is also home to 60% of the country's livestock, and the considerable contribution of livestock to global warming is justification enough to focus on Climate Smart Agriculture in the ASALS. The region is predominantly rural, and for their livelihoods, the farmers rely on rain, which has become unreliable due to climate, hence the persistent food insecurity. Policies have been formulated to address mitigation, adaptation, and food security with outcomes such as improving yields, growing net returns, lessening the emission of Green House Gases, boosting input use and efficiency, enhancing resilience, and improving gender and social inclusion. Understanding the constraints in the implementation of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices would be useful in improving policy formulation and intervention planning. The findings of this study reveal gaps and barriers in the formulation and implementation of CSA policies stemming from lack of awareness, which is responsible for the low adaptability levels, nature of land ownership in the ASALS, cultural factors, poor coordination between stakeholders and inadequate funding for CSA projects

Assessment of Climate Trend, Meteorological Drought and Farmers' Perception to Climate Change and Variability in Hadero Tunto District, Southern Ethiopia

Desta Sulamo, Sinke Mulugeta — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 17:09:23 +0000

Currently, climate change and variability are a hot issue, and more attention needs to be paid to their impact on Ethiopia. Farmers' perception plays a significant role in successfully implementing of adaptation strategies to reduce climate change impacts. The main objective of this study was to assess climate trends, meteorological drought and farmers' perception of climate change variability in Hadero Tunto district, Kembata Tembaro Zone, Southern Ethiopia. To determine historical climate trends, 30 years of rainfall and temperature data were obtained from the Hawassa branch of the Ethiopian National Meteorological Service, and trend analysis was performed. The multistage sampling technique was used to select 150 farm households to be surveyed. The modified Mann–Kendall and Sens' slope estimator trend tests were applied to detect the statistical significance of the trend as well as the magnitude in the time series data. The standardized precipitation index was computed for short and long-term scales to characterize the moisture content in the study area. Results of the standardized precipitation index revealed that the total number of drought events was higher in spring than summer. Still, the most extreme drought was recorded in summer. The years 1987 and 2015 experienced extreme drought in summer with indices values of -2.89 and -2.03, respectively, while, -2.27 was the spring season of 2003. In the long-term scale, -1.7 was recorded as the severe value. The historical average annual maximum and minimum temperatures both showed a significant upward trend. Historical annual rainfall shows a negligible downward trend from 1987 to 2016. This trend of rising temperatures and changing rainfall threatens smallholders´ agriculture, who are already limited by access to basic equipment and land use challenges. The descriptive result revealed that most people perceived long-term variability in the rainfall amount and distribution pattern and an increasing trend and variability of temperature. Based on these results, the study recommends that agricultural extension services be enhanced to sensitize the farmers about climate change, thus improving their perception. Further, studies at a larger scale to illustrate the associations between farmers' perceptions of climate change with meteorological data to figure out the risk of climate change are also critical

Testing CORDEX GCMs for Projecting Rainfall in Amhara, Ethiopia

Antensay Mekoya, Moges Molla — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 09:59:51 +0000

Five CORDEX Global Circulation Models (GCMs): ICHEC-EC-EARTH, MIROC5, HadGEM2-ES, MPI-ESM-LR, and NorESM1-M were tested and validated for projecting rainfall in the Amhara regional state of Ethiopia. The GCMs were evaluated in terms of their performance during the historical period 1981-2020 and of the near-term, mid-term, and long-term future periods in three Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios, RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5, across 71 grid points. Monthly observed rainfall data was used to compare the GCMs' performance and correct their biases using three non-parametric quartile mapping methods: robust empirical quartiles, empirical quartiles, and smoothing splines. The results show that HadGEM2-ES and MPI-ESM-LR had the best performance in the study area. The test and validation results for these two GCMs have come up with r = 0.8, NSE = 0.5-0.6, and RMSE = 64-70 mm/month. As there was a large discrepancy in historical and projected CORDEX rainfall data, bias correction was necessary, and the robust empirical quartiles method was found the best for the Amhara region. Compared to the historical, there will be a decrease in the monthly rainfall amount for the months of March, May, June, July, and October and an increase for the rest in all projected scenarios. The result concluded that using an ensemble of HadGEM2-ES & MPI-ESM-LR GCMs would better simulate the rainfall in the Amhara region

Evaluation of Agricultural Waste-Based Briquettes as an Alternative Biomass Fuel for Cooking in Uganda

Tue, 27 Feb 2024 07:54:25 +0000

Wood fuel has been adopted as a feasible alternative to cooking energy sources in efforts to replace fossil fuels. However, the exorbitant use of wood fuel has raised concern as it is the major cause of forest cover loss in Uganda. Briquettes have been recommended as sources of cooking energy with potential to substitute wood fuel. Unfortunately, sawdust, a product of deforestation, is the primary material used in making briquettes in Uganda. This instead augments the problem of fuel-induced deforestation. Agricultural wastes could potentially be converted into briquetting materials for generation of cooking energy, although these are less studied in Uganda. Thus, this study established the potential of agricultural wastes as alternative briquetting materials for use in cooking. Four fuel types: charcoal from Mangifera indica, firewood of Eucalyptus grandis, carbonized and non-carbonized briquettes from agricultural wastes, all from within Mukono District were used for the study. Laboratory based experiments were used to determine the physico-chemical characteristics of the fuels. Data were analysed using R software, Ver. 4.2.3. Carbonised briquettes’ mean performance measures were higher than conventional fuels (p≤0.05) and non-carbonised briquettes. The amount of energy required to attain experimental boiling point of water was higher (p≤0.05) in conventional fuels and non-carbonised briquettes than in carbonised briquettes. Duration to boil 5 litres of water was least with the conventional fuel sources. All the fuel sources’ emissions exceeded the maximum range recommended for indoor carbon monoxide levels. However, the particulate matter emission was lower in carbonised briquettes and charcoal than the other fuel sources. Agricultural waste-based carbonised briquettes could effectively be used as an alternative cooking energy source in Uganda. The study recommends conducting cost-benefit analyses on the use of agricultural waste-based briquettes as cooking energy sources

Temperature and Precipitation Projections for selected station on Middle Rift Valley Ethiopia, using RCP scenarios

Moges Molla, Antensay Mekoya — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 08:42:38 +0000

This study analyzed the potential impacts of climate change on three weather stations in Ethiopia using models and ensembles of daily precipitation and temperature. The analysis focused on three timeframes (2020s, 2050s, and 2080s) and different RCP scenarios. The results revealed that the temperature is expected to increase in all three stations under different RCP scenarios and timeframes, varying depending on the scenario and station. Additionally, the temperature and precipitation anomalies analysis provided valuable insights into how climate patterns change over time. The historical trends in rainfall indicate a declining rainfall trend during the March-April-May (MAM) rainy season, while the October-November-December (OND) rainy season shows an increase. Tmax and Tmin patterns are consistent with the domain having a common rising trend with a rate of 0.07°C to 2.67°C per decade. Projection analysis considered three emissions scenarios: a low-emission (mitigation) scenario (RCP2.6), a medium-level emission scenario (RCP4.5), and a high- emission (business as usual) scenario (RCP8.5). A noticeable increase in precipitation across different scenarios and time frames for all stations, with the percentage change varying from -2.3% to 39.3%. In terms of precipitation increase, Metehara is projected to have a higher percentage change compared to Meki, ranging from 0.01% to 39.3% across different scenarios and timeframes. In the RCP 8.5 scenario, Melk Worer is expected to have the lowest percentage increase in precipitation, ranging from -2.3% to 5.6%, among the three weather stations. The study recommends taking proactive measures to mitigate the impacts of climate change, such as developing early warning systems and implementing water conservation measures to build more resilient communities and mitigate the impacts of climate change on natural and human systems

Variability and Changes in Climate in Northern Uganda

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 07:39:08 +0000

Variability and changes in climate are generally expected to occur. However, there remain gaps on dynamics of expected regional variations in climatic changes. This study assessed historic and projected climatic conditions up to the year 2033. The study hypothesized that temperature rather than rainfall significantly increased for the period 1980-2010 and rainfall rather than temperature is likely to decrease significantly by 2033 for Gulu District in northern Uganda. To determine historic climatic trends, rainfall and temperature data were obtained from Uganda National Meteorological Authority (UNMA) while for future climate, the PRECIS (Providing Regional Climates for Impact Studies) modelled data based on projected conditions at a 50 km spatial resolution was used. These data sets were subjected to trend analysis and the differences in means were detected at a 95% confidence level. Contrary to the evidences from other empirical studies, results generally indicated decreasing rainfall for the period 1980-2010. However, the decrease was not significant (P > 0.05) while both historic mean annual maximum and minimum temperature trends showed a statistically significant increase (P<0.05). Projections for 2033 reveal a significant decrease in rainfall (P < 0.05) while both maximum and minimum temperature will remain quasi uniform

Effects of Climate Change-Induced Flooding on Onsite Sanitation Services: A Case Study of Kanyama, Compound in Lusaka, Zambia

Miyanda Habanyama, Joel Kabika, PhD, Lucky Mwiinga — Tue, 23 Apr 2024 07:18:44 +0000

The study underscores the absence of a comprehensive assessment of flooding effects on onsite sanitation systems in Kanyama, exacerbating existing issues like inadequate facilities, poor maintenance, and improper waste management. Conducting both qualitative and quantitative methods, the research engaged 210 respondents from six wards in Kanyama, using systematic random sampling for households and purposive sampling for key informants. Employing predictive models (Root Mean Square Error and R-squared values) in SPSS Version 22, the findings revealed negative effects on onsite sanitation systems, including contamination of water, infrastructure damage, and overflowing of pit latrines/septic tanks. Key statistics include 68% of respondents witnessing temperature changes, 63% understanding climate change, and 73% acknowledging changes in rainfall patterns. For flooding, 72% observed increased floods, with a statistical analysis yielding R-squared values of 0.431, 0.427, and 0.373 for water contamination, infrastructure damage, and overflowing of pit latrines/septic tanks, respectively. These values represent the percentage of variation explained by flood-related variables. Chi-squared statistics values of 234.16, 214.564, and 152.132 highlight a significant effect of flood-related variables on observed outcomes. Qualitative data identified themes such as awareness of climate change effects, diverse beliefs, varying community awareness, and the need for tailored education. The study proposed a Sustainability model, emphasizing drainage systems, awareness campaigns, infrastructure development, waste management, and partnerships to enhance community resilience against climate change-induced flooding

Vulnerability of the Pteridoflora Towards Climate Change in the West Albertine Rift: Case of the Mountain’s Stages of the Kahuzi-Biega National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Fri, 10 May 2024 08:30:46 +0000

The present article aims at analysing the floristic composition of Lycophytes and Ferns to test the disturbances on the vegetation structure occurring in the mountains zones of the Kahuzi-Biega National Park (KBNP), further, to prove/underline the main threat and the vulnerability which actually is impacting the biodiversity in the mountains of the Western Albertine Rift due to climate changes and resulting in habitat loss as well as result of anthropogenic activities. The KBNP is located at the crossroad of the phytogeography regions of the Guinea-Congolese and Afromontane between 650 to 3326 m of altitude. During 10 years, we conducted comparison studies in the habitats (disturbed and undisturbed) encountered on the vegetation that scales between 1250 à 3300 m of altitude in 30 plots, 15 transects on a one kilometre. The results obtained reveal a variation in the flora composition within the three stages. The difference in the height, the diametric distribution (trees and shrubs) as well as the presence of Pteridophytes between undisturbed and disturbed habitats is highly significant within the 10 years’ observations. In stable and mature parcels, Pteridophytes constitute a very rich, diversified and stable population. Permanent threat manifested through the fragility of the habitats and is further translated by a modification of the floristic composition of the canopy, and sometimes trough the taming of the undergrowth in disturbed parcels. The mountainous part of the KBNP might probably constitute a climatic refuge for Pteridophytes in the Albertine Rift considering their diversity. Furthermore, considering these adaptations, the diversity and the specificity of the biotopes occupied, as well as the bioecological services recognized to Lycophytes and Ferns, they are the real markers for bioindicators of the delicatessen towards climate changes observed in the western rift Albertine. However, anthropogenic effects and sometimes, natural hazards resulting in this protected area, may also constitute a source of vulnerability for Pteridophytes

Medium Term Climate Change Effects on Millet Yields in Gulu District, Northern Uganda

George Oriangi, Yazidhi Bamutaze, Paul Isolo Mukwaya, Edekebon Elaijah — Sun, 12 May 2024 17:28:03 +0000

Climate change is expected to adversely affect crop yields and livelihoods of agro-dependent societies, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, there remain gaps on the effects of expected regional climatic changes on key food security crops. This study assessed the projected climatic conditions and expected changes in millet yields for Paicho Sub County (S/C) in Gulu District up to the year 2033 using a cross sectional study design. To determine future climatic conditions, PRECIS (Providing Regional Climates for Impact Studies) model was used based on projected conditions at a 50 km spatial resolution while millet yields were modelled using Penman Grindley soil moisture balance model. PRECIS projected changes for 2033 reveal a strong and significant decrease in rainfall (p< 0.05). This is likely to decrease millet yields by 2.6% below the average current yields of 1.8 tons per hectare per year under business-as-usual scenario. The finding indicates a need for improved millet varieties that can survive under changed climatic conditions

Comparative Effects of Site-specific and Blanket Fertilizer Application on Soil Physicochemical properties and Maize (Zea mays L.) Yield at Mikalango in Chikwawa District, Southern Malawi

Gabriel D. Chilumpha, Samuel Feyissa, Isaac R. Fandika, Jonathan Atkinson — Wed, 29 May 2024 12:31:55 +0000

Malawi's economy predominantly relies on agriculture. However, continuous soil degradation threatens crop production, food security, and nutrition. The use of fertilizers in soil fertility amendment has not been as effective due to blanket application, which does not adequately address Malawi's diverse soil nutrient deficiencies. This can also lead to over-fertilization, which can generate greenhouse gas emissions contributing to climate change. The experiment, set up in a randomized complete block design, compared site-specific and blanket fertilizer applications having 5 treatments and 5 replications, where a single maize seed variety was planted uniformly. Data was collected from the site's soil physicochemical properties, maize growth, and yield components and analyzed using JMP SAS software version 14.0.0. Results indicated that site-specific fertilizer application significantly differed from blanket fertilizer application at a 5% level of significance. Phosphorus (0.31 ppm), Sulphur (24.2 ppm), and Zinc (1.92 ppm) were significantly higher due to site-specific fertilizer application. Similarly, plant biomass (3.41 t/ha) and grain yield (7.03 t/ha) were also significantly higher due to site-specific fertilizer application. Hence, the study concluded that site-specific soil fertility management is ideal for efficient nutrient replenishment and attaining optimum yields while mitigating climate change in maize farming systems

Climate Change: An Obvious Phenomenon or Myth, in the African Context

Horace Muhamya, Johnson Ocan, PhD, Akena Francis Adyanga, PhD — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 13:52:35 +0000

Climate change is a global phenomenon of unprecedented consequence, engendering substantial scientific, political, and societal discourse. This literature review article offers an exploration of climate change perceptions and realities in the African context. It begins by establishing the unmistakable scientific consensus, with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) serving as a primary authority. The review highlights robust evidence, including temperature trends, extreme weather events, and ecological impacts across the African continent, affirming climate change as an undeniable scientific phenomenon. However, the discourse surrounding climate change in Africa is not homogeneous. Dissenting arguments challenging climate change as a myth emphasize the variability in public perception, data limitations, and the complexities of attribution. These counterarguments reflect diverse perspectives, economic interests, and political inclinations, contributing to the multifaceted character of the climate change discussion. The implications of these findings are substantial, especially for a region highly susceptible to climate change impacts. Proactive measures for climate mitigation and adaptation are imperative to address the vulnerabilities experienced by communities, ecosystems, and economies. A multidisciplinary approach is underscored, recognizing climate change as an intricate challenge interwoven with economics, politics, and human behaviour. The diversity of voices in this discourse emphasizes the need for ongoing research, collaborative efforts, and an inclusive approach to policy formulation. In navigating the complex terrain of climate change, unwavering commitment to scientific rigor, transparency, and sustainable solutions is paramount. This literature review contributes to the ongoing dialogue, providing a basis for further inquiry and informed decision-making. It has the potential to guide future investigations, shape public policy, and elevate awareness regarding the critical significance of addressing climate change in the African context and, by extension, the entire world. The findings presented here are a testament to the indispensable role of rigorous scholarship in comprehending and confronting one of the most pressing challenges of our time