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dc.contributor.authorOmoding, Denis
dc.date.accessioned2022-03-25T07:20:12Z
dc.date.available2022-03-25T07:20:12Z
dc.date.issued2022-01
dc.identifier.citationOmoding, D. (2022). Assessing the effect of rainfall variability on the choice of adaptation options used by smallholder farmers in Serere District (Unpublished undergraduate dissertation). Makerere University, Kampala Ugandaen_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12281/11347
dc.descriptionA dissertation submitted to the department of Geography, Geoinformatics and Climatic Sciences in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Bachelor of Geographical Sciences of Makerere Universityen_US
dc.description.sponsorshipAdaptation to climate change and agricultural productivity in Uganda and other developing countries are greatly affected by rainfall variability. Reliability on rainfall for agriculture is greatly reducing due to increasing incidences of rainfall variability. In the study area, there is a continued trend of more frequent and intense climate-related disasters, which are expected to have significant impacts on adaptation options and livelihoods. Most studies on the effect of rainfall variability on adaptation have a major focus on semi-arid and arid areas and mostly use community-level data. Information on actual dynamics of rainfall variability at the household level in high potential areas like Serere County is limited. This study therefore aimed at determining the effect of rainfall variability on the choice of adaptation options used by smallholder farmers. The specific objectives were to describe rainfall trends in the study area, examine the adaptation options used by smallholder farmers, and assess the relationship between rainfall variability andadaptation options used by smallholder farmers. Structured questionnaires were administered to a proportionate random sample of 120 households from the three Sub Counties of Serere County. Data from questionnaires was complemented by oral interviews with key informants from the sub-counties. Descriptive statistics were run using SPSS to obtain frequencies, tables, and figures. The correlation was done to establish a relationship between rainfall variability and adaptation. Excel spreadsheet was used to develop statistical tables and figures to describe the rainfall trends. The study revealed an increasing trend in annual rainfall with a significant variation within months of the years, gross changes in rainfall patterns were noticed in the past ten years in the study area. Adaptation options used by farmers were planting with early rains, planting early maturing crops, crop diversification, mixed farming, use of chemicals, use of certified seeds. The least adopted were irrigation and technology e.g greenhouse. There was a statistically significant relationship between rainfall variability and crop diversification, mixed farming, planting with early rains, agroforestry, planting early maturing crops, use of certified seeds, and use of chemical/herbicides. This study concluded that smallholder farmers have noticed the annual gross changes in rainfall patterns and significant variations with months in the past ten years in the study area leading to a negative effect on adaptation practice. Further research should be conducted focusing on reducing farmers‘vulnerability to climate variability.en_US
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherMakerere Universityen_US
dc.subjectRainfall variabilityen_US
dc.subjectAdaptation optionsen_US
dc.subjectSmallholder farmersen_US
dc.titleAssessing the effect of rainfall variability on the choice of adaptation options used by smallholder farmers in Serere Districten_US
dc.typeThesisen_US


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