Local knowledge and adaptation strategies of smallholder farmers to climate change in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of Burkina Faso

Abstract

Climate change poses a serious threat to the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in African semi-arid regions. Effective adaptation requires integrating local knowledge with policy interventions. This study examines the perceptions, endogenous adaptation strategies, and support needs of smallholder farmers to enhance their resilience to climate change in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of Burkina Faso. A survey of 300 smallholder farmers was conducted in the Central-East region using a semi-structured questionnaire. Questions focused on perceived climate change indicators, adverse impacts, existing adaptation strategies, and expectations from support projects. Relative frequencies of smallholder farmers' responses were compared using the Kruskal-Wallis test. Principal component analysis and Sankey diagrams were applied to explore adaptation practices and support expectations, respectively. Smallholder farmers identified 15 key climate change indicators ( p < 0.0001), most frequently early cessation of rainfall (78.00%), droughts (52.67%) and strong winds (41.67%). Nineteen adverse effects were reported ( p = 0.0002), affecting natural resources, agricultural activities, and socio-economic conditions. Common adaptation strategies included crop associations, trade diversification, abandonment of certain crops, and seasonal migration, with patterns varying by age, gender and ethnicity. Smallholder farmers emphasized the need for agricultural inputs and development projects to strengthen resilience. The findings underscore the importance of combining local knowledge with scientific and policy-driven approaches to design effective, sustainable, and socially inclusive climate adaptation strategies in African semi-arid regions.