Browsing by Author "Jalloh, Mohamed"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3

Climate Change Awareness and Climate-Related Challenges Affecting Smallholder Farmers in Southern Sierra Leone
(Science Publishing Group, 2026-08-22) Jalloh, Mohamed
This study assessed climate change awareness, understanding, observed climatic changes, and climate-related challenges affecting smallholder farmers in the Southern Region of Sierra Leone. A convergent mixed-methods research design was employed, integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches. Data were collected from 614 smallholder farmers selected through a multistage sampling procedure. Household surveys, Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), and secondary data sources were utilized. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, ordinal logistic regression, binary logistic regression, and the Kruskal-Wallis H test. The findings revealed that 80.2% of farmers had heard of climate change, with Radio/TV (56.0%), community groups (47.7%), and family/traditional knowledge (43.5%) serving as the major information sources. Farmers reported increasing temperatures (79.0%), irregular rainfall (69.5%), and prolonged dry seasons (58.6%) as the most noticeable climatic changes. Unpredictable rainfall (91.9%), soil degradation (79.2%), drought (68.9%), and pests and diseases (67.3%) emerged as the most severe climate-related challenges. Ordinal logistic regression showed that age (OR = 1.723, p < 0.001), education level (OR = 1.552, p < 0.001), and residency status (OR = 1.516, p = 0.032) significantly influenced climate change understanding. Binary logistic regression identified irregular rainfall (OR = 3.367), lack of irrigation (OR = 3.086), soil degradation (OR = 2.824), and drought (OR = 2.328) as major predictors of severe climate-related impacts (p < 0.001). Significant district-level differences in climate vulnerability were observed, while the Kruskal-Wallis test indicated significant variation in extreme weather frequency across districts (χ 2 = 71.08, p < 0.001). The study concludes that climate change awareness is relatively high, but vulnerability remains substantial. Strengthening climate information services, extension support, irrigation development, and the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices is recommended to enhance resilience and promote sustainable agricultural development among smallholder farmers in Southern Sierra Leone.
Climate Change-related Weather Patterns in Southern Sierra Leone; Validating Farmer Perceptions with CHIRPS/ERA5-Land Datasets
(Sciencedomain International, 2026-08-10) Jalloh, Mohamed
**Aim:** Farmer perceptions of climate change vary across spatial scales, and these perceptions can be validated using synoptic weather-station data. However, in data-poor countries such as Sierra Leone, weather stations are sparsely distributed and are also affected by substantial inconsistencies and errors in data capture. Against this backdrop, we present the first validation of farmer perceptions of climate change-related weather patterns in southern Sierra Leone using Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station data (CHIRPS) and the fifth-generation European ReAnalysis for the land component (ERA5-Land) reanalysis data. Study Design: The study employed a mixed-methods research design involving farmer perceptions of climate change-related weather patterns and corresponding data from the CHIRPS and ERA5-Land datasets. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in southern Sierra Leone. Field data on farmer perceptions were collected in June 2025, and CHIRPS/ERA5-Land data were acquired for the period 2004–2024. **Methodology:** To assess farmer perceptions of climate change-related weather patterns, 613 farmers were interviewed; 56.6% were male and 43.4% were female, and the participants were aged 18–65 years. Qualitative data obtained from focus group discussions were analysed using content analysis, while quantitative data obtained from household surveys were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including percentages, the coefficient of variation, Spearman's rank correlation, and the Kruskal–Wallis test. CHIRPS and ERA5-Land data were analysed using the Hamed–Rao modified Mann–Kendall test and Sen's slope estimator. In addition, Kendall's rank correlation coefficient was used to measure agreement between farmer perceptions and observations from the CHIRPS and ERA5-Land datasets. **Results:** Farmers reported rising temperatures, which were corroborated by increases of C to C in annual mean temperature recorded by ERA5-Land across the four districts; all increases were statistically significant at p < 0.005, based on the Hamed–Rao modified Mann–Kendall test. Farmers also perceived irregular rainfall patterns. Based on the CHIRPS data, the coefficient of variation in annual rainfall ranged from 7.1% in Bo to 9.1% in Bonthe, indicating substantial year-to-year fluctuations without a directional trend. Moreover, the 12-month Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI-12) showed more droughts after 2015, supporting farmers’ perceptions of increased drought frequency. Furthermore, farmer perceptions of extreme weather events varied significantly across districts, and Moyamba and Bo, which are more economically active and inland, recorded the largest increases in extreme heat based on ERA5-Land reanalysis data. **Conclusion:** The study shows a high degree of concordance between farmer perceptions of climate change-related weather patterns and corresponding CHIRPS/ERA5-Land records. This finding suggests that local perceptions can serve as an integral source of data in local climate studies and that integrating them with global climate products could improve understanding of changing weather patterns from local to regional scales.
Impacts of Climate Change and Adoption of Adaptation Options by Smallholder Farmers in Southern Sierra Leone
(Sciencedomain International, 2026-09-26) Jalloh, Mohamed
Backgrounds and Aims: Climate change affects all sectors of the economy, with farming among the sectors most visibly affected, especially in countries that are highly vulnerable to climate change, such as Sierra Leone. The impacts of climate change on farming and the corresponding adaptation options vary across spatial scales, requiring localised studies to obtain detailed information that can guide area-specific mitigation and adaptation. In view of this, the study presents a detailed analysis of climate change impacts and adaptation options in farming communities in southern Sierra Leone, a region that is becoming increasingly vulnerable to climate change. Study Design: The study employed a case-study and mixed-methods research design examining farmers’ perceptions of climate change impacts and corresponding adaptation options in farming communities. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in southern Sierra Leone. Farmers’ perceptions of climate change impacts and their corresponding adaptation options were collected from May to June 2025. **Methodology:** Data were obtained from 614 farmers aged 18–65 years, 56.6% of whom were male and 43.4% female. Qualitative data were obtained from focus group discussions, while quantitative data were obtained from household surveys. Conceptual content analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data, whereas descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the quantitative data. Through triangulation, the qualitative data provided a means of validating the quantitative data obtained from farming households. **Results:** Reduced crop yields (99.0%) and crop failure (87.9%) were the most commonly reported impacts of climate change on crop production, resulting in food shortages (98.0%) and reduced dietary diversity (79.6%). Mixed cropping was the most widely used indigenous adaptation option (48.7%), followed by crop rotation (42.3%) and shifting cultivation (29.2%). Compared with traditional practices, adoption of modern climate adaptation practices was very low, including adjustment of planting and harvesting dates (22.8%), soil and water conservation through mulching, cover cropping, and terracing (16.0%), crop and livestock diversification (15.6%), and drought-tolerant varieties (12.7%). Very few farmers adopted flood-tolerant crops (4.7%), agroforestry (2.6%), irrigation (0.7%), or water harvesting (0.3%). The study showed that 49.8% of the farmers interviewed had adopted at least one climate adaptation option. There was a strong relationship between understanding and perceived climate-impact seriousness (ρ = 0.66) and a moderate positive correlation between climate-impact seriousness and confidence to adapt (ρ = 0.43). **Conclusion:** Climate change has worsened food insecurity in southern Sierra Leone, given the low yields and food shortages reported by most households. While the adoption of an adaptation option by about half of the farmers indicates a meaningful level of behavioural response, a substantial adaptation gap remains, highlighting structural, informational, and motivational barriers that constrain farmers’ responses to increasing climate impacts. The findings further suggest that deeper knowledge of climate change is closely linked to its perceived severity, but awareness alone is not sufficient for adopting climate adaptation options.