CHAPTER 8: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
8.3 Recommendations
In view of the findings of the study, the following recommendations are proposed:
Discrepancies between women’s perception and meteorological data raise concerns about the validity of women’s perception (Boissière et al., 2013) and highlights the importance of dissemination of climate change information. However discrepancies may also be due to unreliable meteorological data especially in areas with few meteorological stations. Hence, the importance of integrating climate change perceptions with meteorological data for complementary purposes (Boissière et al., 2013). Seasonal forecasts should also be made available to ensure short term
149 planning, (for example, this information would influence crop type and time of planting) (African Technology Policy Studies Network- ATPS, 2013). These forecasts should target vulnerable groups including women and be delivered in such a way that it suits women in content and delivery. There is also a need for climate change projections and for them to be translated into usable forms for all stakeholders for planning and adaptation purposes (Jiri, 2016; Swai et al., 2012).
Women’s explanation of climate change being based on spirituality and traditional customs indicates the lack of scientific knowledge on climate change in the study area. Therefore, it is recommended that mass media (radio and television) the major source of information for women should be used to increase the level of climate change awareness. Climate change awareness programs should be on a continual basis to improve women’s access to information. “Farmers can effectively use the mobile phone for weather information access if weather information voice messages are sent in the language they understand. This can promote easy understanding and appropriate adoption” (Anuga and Gordon 2016:284). Therefore the use of mobile phones as climate change information distributors should be exploited. Strong political will is required from all forms of leadership to address vulnerability and adaptation issues (Shackleton et al., 2014).
People who hold leadership positions such as the Chief, the ward councillor and headmen among others should be given tools that will inform decisions pertaining to the environment and climate change thereby strengthening institutional capacity (Lata and Nunn, 2012).
According to women, extension services are currently non-existent. This implies that there is a need for accessible and relevant extension services for all women. Extension officers should be well-informed about agricultural adaptation to climate change impacts to enhance women’s adaptive capacity. The interviewed extension officer acknowledges that her climate change knowledge is fairly limited. Extension officer’s knowledge can be improved through information dissemination and trainings on climate change adaptation. For example trainings on new seed varieties and trainings on communicating climate change information. The number of extension officers deployed in Ndwedwe-Cibane should also be increased. Women need to substitute current crops with drought tolerant species and varieties (Ajani et al., 2013). Investment in agricultural research (for example, drought and disease resistance varieties, soil conservation measures, fertilizer use, land reform) is recommended (ATPS, 2013). Based on the findings of the study it is recommended that women should re-form agricultural cooperatives to improve homestead food security and to share individual knowledge thus increasing women’s collective agency. Veterinary
150 services should be provided in the study area or close by (Sacramento et al., 2012). Access to veterinary services may improve livestock productivity. Study participants should provide livestock with purchased feed and drinking water during times of water scarcity (Department of Forestry and Fisheries - DAFF, 2015). Farmers should also consider investing in goats rather than cattle and sheep because they are more drought tolerant and drought is likely to be a frequent hazard in the future (Sacramento et al., 2012).
Concerning water supply, water harvesting should be encouraged in all homesteads. Technology should also be further developed for water harvesting practices (Addisu et al., 2016; Misra, 2014).
Irrigation of garden plots should be improved, this improvement could be facilitated by the Ndwedwe Local Municipality through communal or homestead piped water. Moreover, irrigation should be done in the morning and/or afternoon to avoid evapotranspiration and over-irrigation should be avoided since it can lead to problems like water logging (DAFF, 2015). Women should continue to practice water conservation and reuse water (DAFF, 2015). Government should introduce and promote the use of biogas and energy saving stoves to reduce the deforestation for firewood. In addition, investments in renewable and clean energy sources should be made and promoted by government and the private sector. These investments should incorporate women’s traditional knowledge, roles and scientific expertise (Boissière et al., 2013).
Government should strengthen infrastructure by providing electricity and water connection for all homesteads. Prior to any form of development, project planners need to carry out assessments to ensure that development supports or at least is not a barrier to climate change adaptation.
Moreover, adaptation should be ‘normalized’ in core development activities (Davis, 2011; Picketts et al., 2014). The national government should not devolve climate change adaptation to Local Municipalities without financial resources. In addition climate change adaptation should not only be implemented at the local or national level but rather an integrated approach that considers all levels of government should be adopted (Gentle and Maraseni, 2012).
Lack of access to credit is a barrier to climate change adaptation especially for single women.
Means to increase women’s access to credit should be in place and women should be taught more about the terms of credit facilities (Fosu-Mensah et al., 2012). Livelihood diversification should be promoted through the creation of non-farm employment because its importance in rural women’s livelihoods has been revealed.
151 Overall the use of indigenous knowledge for adaptation should be promoted but also integrated with modern knowledge and involve all relevant stakeholders (governments, locals, academia, and media). This may lead to appropriate and feasible adaptation strategies. More research pertaining to climate change at the local level should be conducted. Women’s adaptation strategies are in general reactive and short-term. As a result, the implementation of medium to long-term adaptation strategies need to be based on policies (at all levels) that provide finance and technological assistance (Zampaligré et al., 2014). Adaptation strategies should be planned and anticipatory (ATPS, 2013). Rural inhabitants should not only be informed about policies but must contribute in policy formulation.
Policies to address climate change adaptation that recognize not only women’s vulnerability but differences even between women based on marital status should be formulated. In addition more focus should be diverted to single women to enhance their access to assets thereby improving their adaptive capacity (Djoudi et al., 2016). FEW resources based adaptation to climate change impacts requires co-ordination and foresight. Plans and policies should be harmonized among FEW resources, taking into account interdependencies to tap synergies and co-benefits across the different resources.