Exploring climate change perspectives among smallholder farmers in Tonkolili district, Sierra Leone

Climate change presents a significant threat to both human livelihoods and environmental sustainability. As the impact of climate extremities continues to reshape the livelihoods of communities in rural areas of the global south, understanding smallholders' perceptions of these impacts and their resulting adaptation practices is crucial for building climate resilience. This study explored climate change perspectives among smallholder farmers in Tonkolili district, Sierra Leone. An empirical survey was conducted on ninety households from three rural communities in Northern Sierra Leone to explore their climate change perspectives from a farm-household standpoint. Bivariate correlation analysis was employed to examine the dynamic relationship between farmers’ perspectives and their socio-demographic and farm-specific characteristics. Findings highlight the significant influence of socio-demographic and farm-specific factors on farmers' perceptions of climate events, with the dynamics of the relationship manifesting in both positive and negative trajectories. Household income showed significant positive relationships with pursuing alternative livelihood activities (rs = .312, p < .01), while perceptions of changes in crop yields had a significant negative relationship (rs = -.434, p < .01) with household income. Crop rotation and regulation of planting times emerged as the predominant adaptation strategies practiced by 99% and 93% of farmers respectively, with most demonstrating a pattern of congruence in non-adoption of several other adaptation strategies. The results hold important implications for policymakers seeking to enhance the climate resilience of local farmers by providing current, location-specific information on climate perceptions and local adaptation strategies, which is crucial to guide the targeted planning and implementation of climate-related interventions.