Better understanding the climate resilience of family farmers
To support the adaptation of small-scale irrigation to climate change, a training on the use of the SHARP (Self-evaluation and Holistic Assessment of climate Resilience of farmers and Pastoralists) tool, developed by FAO, took place in Bouaké, Côte d’Ivoire, from 9 to 11 February 2017. This training targeted experts in agricultural water management from Côte d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Mali and Niger. The SHARP tool is designed as an instrument to assess the climate resilience of family farmers. It allows to collect information from farmers, through a survey-based evaluation, in order to evaluate their level of resilience to the harmful effects of climate change. This tool has been enhanced in the framework of this project to address issues related to water and irrigation management.
During the practical phase of the training, this tool was used in the village of KPATO in Sakassou. The interviewers and participants met the community and notables in small groups, using digital tablets, to assess their resilience towards climate change.
The difficulties identified by farmers of KPATO are the following:
- The rarity of rains has brought a shift in the crop calendar in the last ten years
- High temperatures reduce the working time of farmers. This has resulted in a decline of production and an increase in rural poverty.
In addition to these problems caused by climate, farmers also face the following difficulties:
- Poor site management causing flooding during rainfalls
- Insufficient mechanization equipment
- Lack of drainage channels, lack of estimation of the quantity of irrigation water.
There is a need to better understand and adapt small-scale irrigation systems to ensure resilience to increasing climatic variability and changes in precipitation. Current and future climate changes require the introduction of agricultural and irrigation management strategies. It is, therefore, essential to have up-to-date information to support investors in making the right decisions in the interest of smallholder farmers.