Determining Factors Influencing Farmers' Selection of Climate Change Adaptation Methods in Rural Gambia: Insights from West Africa

Abstract

This study identifies different methods of adaptation used by farmers to adapt to climate change in the rural Gambia. The methods identified include use of agriculture technology, planting early and late varieties, practicing soil and water conservation, planting other crops varieties, fertilizer, and multiple crops under irrigation. Results from multinomial logistic regression as discrete choice model employed imply that household size, education of the respondents, gender, access to extension service, employment of household head category, access to credit has negative and insignificant impacts on adaptation options in the rural Gambia. The results further revealed that, total household income, drought as a proxy for climate change, and size of the farmland has positive and significant impacts on climate change adaptation options. Moreover, the analysis reveals that access to credit, migration response, drought, income and practicing livestock farming has positive relationship with no adaptation options.