Smallholders’ Perceptions of Climate Change Impact on Biodiversity: A Case Study of Farmers in Varied Agro ecological Zones in Kenya

Abstract

The current global warming has resulted in persistent droughts in Kenya. Farmers are now changing their agricultural practices to cope with the drought, which is usually accompanied by variation in biodiversity. This study determined how farmers perceive the changes over a period of 30 years. Data was collected using semi-structured questionnaires in Bungoma, Nakuru, Kajiado, Embu (Mbeere) and Kilifi counties. Climatic data was collected from weather stations and corroborated with that of Kenya Meteorological Department. Rainfall fluctuated considerably, amount increasing slowly over time, rainy season decreasing and storms becoming frequent. Dry periods were frequent and annual temperatures were increasing. Some animals, plants, birds and insects had either disappeared like elephants and lions in Mbeere; reduced like butterflies, and termites in all sites, or either increased in numbers (mosquitoes, weevils and red mites in all sites, tortoise and scorpions in Mbeere, Jatropha curcas and Lantana camara in Mbeere) or emerged (great grain borer in Mbeere and Kilifi, black Indian crow in Kilifi, Ipomoea sp in Kajiado and Prosopis juliflora in Kilifi). Farmers are now harvesting and conserving water in water pans, zai pits, and terraces. Some invasive plant species such as Prosopis juliflora were out-competing crops and pasture, predators were invading homesteads, carnivorous birds were becoming omnivorous and insect vectors and pests like mosquitoes and weevils were increasing their habitats to former cooler areas. Consequently, farmers were planting fast-growing multipurpose trees such as Senna siamea, rearing diverse animals and growing drought-tolerant crops.