Constraints to Adopting Locally Based Innovation Systems in Adapting to Climate Change Impacts in Serengeti District, Tanzania

Smallholder farmers in rural Tanzania depend mainly on rain-fed agriculture, which makes them vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. This paper is based on a study conducted in Burunga and Musati villages in Serengeti District, Tanzania. The study employed a mixed methods approach; combining qualitative and quantitative methods. It involved 154 participants and employed household surveys, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions as data collection methods. The findings suggest that smallholder farmers in the study area are aware of climate change and do, indeed, develop, adopt, and use locally-based innovation systems that avert or minimise its impacts. Smallholder farmers develop indicators and innovations based on indigenous knowledge systems that are developed over time and space. The leading indicators are in the categories of weather, astronomy, wild animals, wild birds, macro-organisms, water systems, and vegetation. Locally-based innovations include planting drought-tolerant crops, changing planting techniques and planting dates, changing crop varieties, and using animal manure. On the other hand, the constraints in adopting and using locally-based innovations in adapting to the impacts of climate change include knowledge transfer, indigenous knowledge colonisation, non-institutionalisation of indigenous knowledge, the influence of the market economy, and the disappearance of plant and animal species. As such, local institutions, non-governmental organisations and the government ought to design strategies and formulate policies supportive of indigenous-based innovation systems to avert or minimise the impact of climate change, and thereby enhance agricultural productivity.