The case of the Limpopo Basin, South Africa

Climate change is expected to have serious environmental, economic, and social impacts on South Africa. In particular, rural farmers, whose livelihoods depend on the use of natural resources, are likely to bear the brunt of adverse impacts. The extent to which these impacts are felt depends in large part on the extent of adaptation in response to climate change. Adaptation is widely recognized as a vital component of any policy response to climate change. Without adaptation, climate change would be detrimental to the agricultural sector, but with adaptation, vulnerability can be significantly reduced. This brief is based on a study that examines farmers’ perceptions of climate change and analyzes their adaptation responses to climate change and variability using household survey data from the Limpopo River Basin in South Africa.Non-PRIFPRI1; GRP38; DCAEPT