Abstract

The impact of climate change on smallholder farmers in developing countries has become an alarming issue that requires close attention. Due to the low level of investment on science and technology in their activities, smallholder farmers are the most affected group by the impacts of climate change in many developing countries. This study examined the impacts of climate change and the adaptation strategies of smallholder farmers in Micheweni district of Pemba Zanzibar Tanzania. The study adopted a descriptive design whereby both qualitative and quantitative techniques were used in data collection and data analysis. The collected data involved both primary and secondary. The findings revealed loss of crop varieties, loss of income and loss of agricultural land are the impacts of climate facing the smallholder farmers at the district. These impacts hampered smallholder farmers’ efforts to improve their livelihoods. However, the smallholder farmers in the district managed to cope with the situation through various measures. These include changing the planting date, shifting from fresh water to sea water crops cultivation, water storage and irrigation measures. Finally, the study recommended the need for policy reforms toward enhancing issues of solving community problems such as poverty.  

Key Words: Smallholder farmers, Climate, Climate change, Impacts, Adaptation strategies