Endogenous livelihood assets and climate change resilience in the Mezam Highlands of Cameroon

Growing scientific and policy interests in sub-Saharan Africa suggest the need to strengthen the resilience of livelihood systems, especially in one of the key sectors-agriculture. However, there is still a growing debate on the extent to which livelihood systems shape climate resilience - accounting for policy and practice fragmentation, and for less optimal agricultural outcomes. Using the Household Livelihood Resilience Approach (HLRA), we shed light on this issue, taking the case of the Western Highlands of Cameroon. Specifically, we collected 350 household surveys in order to: (i) assess the levels of resilience of farmers to climate change; and (ii) examine the extent to which farmers' endogenous livelihood assets (natural, physical, human, social, financial) affect livelihood resilience. Findings showed that, farmers' levels of resilience varied with respect to different livelihood assets, with farmers currently relying on natural, financial, and social assets. Based on the parameter estimates of the multiple linear regression model, it was found that, the most important endogenous assets affecting farmers' livelihood resilience to climate change were ownership of farm equipment and use of local irrigation systems (physical capital), as well as indigenous knowledge (human capital). Policy focus should be directed towards these endogenous human and physical assets as well as strengthening financial, natural, and social assets in order to improve the resilience of farmers in the Western Highlands of Cameroon.