Doctoral thesis
This study which aimed at assessing the resilience of dryland grapevine farmers to
climate change was conducted in Chamwino District and Dodoma Municipality. The
specific objectives were to identify the factors influencing grapevine production in the
context of climate change, to assess the level of awareness of grapevine farmers on
climate change, to assess the grapevine farmers‟ adaptation strategies and their adaptive
capacity to climate change, and to develop the grapevine farmers‟ resilience framework
to climate change. A cross-sectional research design encompassing both purposive and
proportionate random sampling was adopted for this study. The study involved 248
grapevine farmers as primary grapevine stakeholders and 64 other secondary grapevine
stakeholders. Primary data were collected through questionnaire survey, focus group
discussions, key informant interviews and the research‟s observations, while secondary
data were collected through documents review. Qualitative data collected from Focus
Group Discussions and Key Informant interviews were analyzed through content
analysis. Quantitative data collected through questionnaires were processed and
analyzed by having the data edited, coded, summarized, and entered into the computer.
The quantitative data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences
(SPSS). Descriptive statistics were used to obtain frequencies and percentages for the
coded responses. The results were presented through tables, figures, and graphs.
The findings showed that climate variables (minimum and maximum temperature,
annual mean rainfall, and wind speed) in the study area had been fluctuating over the
past 20 years. Many grapevine farmers were aware of climate change on grapevine
production. Climate change affected grapevine production through outbreak of diseases
and pests, drought, low rainfall, and grapevine fruit damage by birds. The grapevine
farmers adopted different adaptation strategies to combat the impacts of climate
change. These included the application of pesticides, the use of scaring methods to
threaten birds, irrigation systems, timed pruning, application of manure and
diversification to other farm or off-farm activities. The grapevine farmers‟ resilience
framework to climate change was finally proposed with an intention to strengthen
grapevine farmers to successfully adopt and apply the adaptation strategies.
It has been recommended that the government and other grapevine stakeholders should extend their efforts more to help the grapevine farmers to improve and apply the
existing climate change adaptation strategies. They should especially help grapevine
farmers to access different opportunities, climate information sources, land and security
of tenure, water sources, financial resources, agricultural inputs, agricultural extension
services and improved transport and irrigation infrastructure. The government,
particularly the local government authorities (Chamwino District and Dodoma
Municipality), should also sensitize grapevine farmers to establish and strengthen the
farmer based organizations. The central government and other grapevine stakeholders
should further help in improving the coordination between crop research centers,
extension, and farmers. It is further recommended that the proposed resilience
framework with its key steps (farmer based organizations, asset base, institutional
coordination, and informed decision-making) which is specific to semi-arid areas be
tested.