Abstract:
Climate change and its variability threaten food security globally, making
life uncertain, especially among agro-pastoral communities living in fragile
semi-arid areas. This trend has necessitated the exploration of the potential
designed and developed pathways and the emerging challenges which
reduce the adaptive capacity of agro-pastoralists. This study investigates
innovative pathways and challenges facing agro-pastoral communities in
adapting to climate change and variability effects on crops and livestock
production in semiarid areas of Kiteto and Kilindi Districts. A mixed-method
research approach under a correlation case study design was employed.
Primary data were collected using a household survey which sampled
362 households, Focus Group Discussion (n=6), In-depth interviews (key
informants) and field visits. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were
used in analysing and presenting the findings. The study results indicate
that agro-pastoral communities have observed a decrease in rainfall and an
increase in temperature trends that were linked to reduced livestock, cereals
and pulses crop production thus affecting the agro-pastoral community’s
food security status. The study identified innovative pathways as a response
to reduced livestock, cereal and pulse crops production which includes
growing drought-tolerant crops, practising intercropping, livestock seasonal
mobility, traditional grazing management system through by-laws, pastures
rotational uses and traditional water reservoirs (Mboutu). Furthermore,
the study identified several challenges to overcoming declining livestock
production and crop yields, which include inadequate financial capital (91%),
droughts (85.4%), unpredicted weather patterns, (74.7%), emergency of new
AJASSS Volume 4, Issue No. 1, 2022 page 20
livestock diseases (50.3%), a lack of reliable weather information (44.2%),
low livestock prices(40%), insufficient and delayed delivery of agricultural
equipment (37%). All these challenges reduced the resilience capacity of agro pastoralists. To ensure the sustainability of fragile dryland communities, this
study recommends purposeful institutional intervention plans and increased
income diversification as well as more capacity-building activities for increased
awareness of climate change adaptation practices in semiarid areas of Tanzania
which will increase agro-pastoralists resilience.
