Farmers‘ Perception and Adaption to Land Use Change and Climate Variability in Fina Reserve, Mali.

Abstract

Like the whole sub-Sahara Africa, rainfall in Fina reserve is subject of strong inter-annual variability. This paper assesses farmers‘ perception on land use utilised in the Fina biosphere reserve and their adaptation measures to climate variability. The statistical methods (descriptive and inferential analysis) are used in this study to determine farmers‘ perceptions and the adaptation measures in the Fina reserve. Results reveal that 75.5% of the farmers noticed an increase in temperature and decrease in rainfall ignoring the recent recovery observed in the annual rainfall. The length of rainy season is considered to be shorter according to 77.6% of farmers involved to the investigation. However, all the farmers underlined frequent and longer dry spell. Bush fire is considered by 10.2% of farmers as the major factor affecting the natural resources of the reserve and only about 10% of farmers accorded much importance to agricultural land as contributor to reserve degradation. Most of the farmers are limited by lack of manpower and not by the reserve rule to increase their farmlands. The major adaptation measures are the methods of shifting cultivation and improving seed which are practiced by 51% and 87.8% of farmers, respectively. New adaptation strategies such as adoption of planting pits and stone-bunds for water retention need to be practiced by farmers.