Effectiveness of climate change adaptation strategies in strengthening food and water security resilience in Eswatini

Abstract

Climate change is severely affecting smallholder farming systems in Eswatini, particularly in the semi-arid Lubombo Region, through recurrent droughts, erratic rainfall, and rising temperatures that undermine food and water security. In response, various adaptation strategies have been introduced by households, government, and NGOs to enhance resilience. However, there is limited empirical evidence on the effectiveness of these strategies in improving actual resilience outcomes. In addition, the factors influencing their adoption and sustained use remain insufficiently understood. Therefore, this study evaluates the effectiveness and determinants of adaptation strategies for food and water security resilience in the Lubombo Region, using a concurrent triangulated mixed-methods approach. A concurrent triangulated mixed-methods design was used, combining survey data from 859 households with qualitative open-ended responses. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Weighted Average Index (WAI), binary logistic regression, and thematic analysis. The results show that crop diversification (80.1%), changing planting dates (73.9%), and drought-tolerant crops (68.6%) are the most commonly adopted adaptation strategies, while small-scale irrigation (19.5%) and agroforestry (23.1%) remain low despite being perceived as highly effective. Key barriers to adoption include limited financial resources (83.0%), lack of credit (73.9%), inadequate information (68.4%), and weak extension services (54.4%). The empirical results indicate that climate change awareness, access to extension services, agricultural training, and group membership significantly increase the likelihood of adopting adaptation strategies. The study concludes that a clear gap exists between perceived effectiveness and actual adoption of adaptation measures. It recommends strengthening extension services, improving access to finance and climate information, and supporting collective action to enhance long-term food and water security resilience.