[ Perceptions du changement climatique et stratégies endogènes d’adaptation par les producteurs de la région du lac Tumba de la République Démocratique du Congo ]
Volume 33, Issue 3, August 2021, Pages 585–595
Benjamin L. Mandjo1 and Patrick A. Dande2
1 Professeur Associé, Unité d’Écodéveloppement, Ethnobiologie et Savoirs endogènes, Département des Sciences de l’Environnement, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa, RD Congo
2 Assistant, Département des Sciences de l’Environnement, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa, RD Congo
Original language: French
Copyright © 2021 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Climate change has thus become a major global issue. Scientific studies clearly show that the changes at work since the beginning of the industrial period are out of step with the natural variability of the climate. It is a threat to the survival of rural households in sub-Saharan Africa who depend mainly on agriculture and the exploitation of natural resources. This study aims to analyze the perceptions of agricultural producers of climate change, its impacts on the environment, adaptation strategies and the relationships between these different aspects. Surveys were carried out through group discussions and an individual questionnaire administered to 300 households in the Lake Tumba region in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Our analyzes made it possible to identify the factors influencing local perceptions of climate change and the choice of adaptation strategies. The study shows that the majority of rural populations surveyed perceive a decrease in rainfall (81.7%), an increase in temperatures during the day (95%) and at night (98.3%) and strong winds (77, 6%). The level of education of the head of household, size, membership of a peasant organization and cultivated area determine this perception. Land degradation results mainly in soils that are flooded for longer and low agricultural yields. The main adaptation strategy is varietal adaptation. The determining factors of this adaptation are membership of a peasant organization, training in agricultural techniques and access to agricultural inputs. The adoption of an adaptation strategy by a producer depends on his perception of climate change and its causes, its negative impacts on the environment and the means available to provide solutions.
Author Keywords: DRC, Tumba landscape, climate change, resilience, endogenous knowledge.
Volume 33, Issue 3, August 2021, Pages 585–595
Benjamin L. Mandjo1 and Patrick A. Dande2
1 Professeur Associé, Unité d’Écodéveloppement, Ethnobiologie et Savoirs endogènes, Département des Sciences de l’Environnement, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa, RD Congo
2 Assistant, Département des Sciences de l’Environnement, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa, RD Congo
Original language: French
Copyright © 2021 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
Climate change has thus become a major global issue. Scientific studies clearly show that the changes at work since the beginning of the industrial period are out of step with the natural variability of the climate. It is a threat to the survival of rural households in sub-Saharan Africa who depend mainly on agriculture and the exploitation of natural resources. This study aims to analyze the perceptions of agricultural producers of climate change, its impacts on the environment, adaptation strategies and the relationships between these different aspects. Surveys were carried out through group discussions and an individual questionnaire administered to 300 households in the Lake Tumba region in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Our analyzes made it possible to identify the factors influencing local perceptions of climate change and the choice of adaptation strategies. The study shows that the majority of rural populations surveyed perceive a decrease in rainfall (81.7%), an increase in temperatures during the day (95%) and at night (98.3%) and strong winds (77, 6%). The level of education of the head of household, size, membership of a peasant organization and cultivated area determine this perception. Land degradation results mainly in soils that are flooded for longer and low agricultural yields. The main adaptation strategy is varietal adaptation. The determining factors of this adaptation are membership of a peasant organization, training in agricultural techniques and access to agricultural inputs. The adoption of an adaptation strategy by a producer depends on his perception of climate change and its causes, its negative impacts on the environment and the means available to provide solutions.
Author Keywords: DRC, Tumba landscape, climate change, resilience, endogenous knowledge.
Abstract: (french)
Le changement climatique est devenu ainsi un enjeu mondial majeur. Les études scientifiques montrent clairement que les changements à l’œuvre depuis le début de la période industrielle sont sans commune mesure avec la variabilité naturelle du climat. Il est une menace pour la survie des ménages ruraux d’Afrique subsaharienne qui vivent principalement d’agriculture et de l’exploitation des ressources naturelles. Cette étude a pour but d’analyser les perceptions des producteurs agricoles du changement climatique, ses impacts sur l’environnement, les stratégies d’adaptation et les relations qui existent entre ces différents aspects. Des enquêtes ont été réalisées au travers des discussions de groupes et d’un questionnaire individuel administré à 300 ménages dans la région du Lac Tumba en République Démocratique du Congo. Nos analyses ont permis d’identifier les facteurs influençant les perceptions locales du changement climatique et le choix des stratégies d’adaptation. L’étude montre que la majorité de populations rurales interrogées perçoivent une baisse des pluies (81,7 %), une hausse des températures pendant la journée (95%) et pendant la nuit (98,3 %) et des vents violents (77,6 %). Le niveau d’éducation du chef de ménage, la taille, l’appartenance à une organisation paysanne et la superficie cultivée déterminent cette perception. La dégradation des terres se traduit essentiellement par des sols inondés plus longtemps et la faiblesse des rendements agricoles. La principale stratégie d’adaptation est l’adaptation variétale. Les facteurs déterminants de cette adaptation sont l’appartenance à une organisation paysanne, la formation en techniques agricoles et l’accès aux intrants agricoles. L’adoption d’une stratégie d’adaptation par un producteur dépend de sa perception du changement climatique et de ses causes, ses impacts négatifs sur l’environnement et des moyens disponibles pour apporter des solutions.
Author Keywords: RDC, lac Tumba, changement climatique, résilience, savoirs endogènes.
How to Cite this Article
Benjamin L. Mandjo and Patrick A. Dande, “Farmers’ perceptions of climate change and endogenous adaptive strategies in Tumba landscape, Democratic Republic of Congo,” International Journal of Innovation and Applied Studies, vol. 33, no. 3, pp. 585–595, August 2021.
