Gender and Land Use Decision Making in Response to Climate Variability in Dassari Watershed (Materi): Benin Republic

Abstract

This study examines gender perspective when addressing responses to climate variability/ change and addresses some of the gaps in understanding how men and women farmers cope with climate variability in Dassari watershed. It investigated how coping strategies are shaped by gender dimensions of power relations, access to resources and equity in decision-making. While the role playing game (RPG) tool helped identify gender specific strategies to cope with climate change, by demonstrating men’s and women’s abilities to react to changes in the climate; a household survey was conducted to assess household characteristics, farmers’ opportunities and constraints at farm and household level. Two workshops were held respectively with the men and women involved in farming activities. The Focus Group Discussions engaged 8–10 individuals to generate qualitative information on the study variables and captured how men and women in farm households perceive and experience climatic shift. Results showed that farmers' interviewed are very knowledgeable about climate variability/change events. They are aware of changing climate causes and consequences on their daily life especially their farming activities and majority of them; about 86.6 % have started adaptation. Majority of the respondents 87.3 % agreed that there have been increased in temperature trend in the watershed. The farmers observed also that there have been changes in the rainfall patterns too. Over 53.3 % observed the rainfall to have decreased while 43.1 % observed an unpredictable and poor distribution pattern. They highlighted unpredictable rainfall patterns, rising temperatures and the occurrence of strong winds as major climatic changes. From the RPG data, a clear difference was observed between male and female styles of decision making, and coping strategies under climate variability. The game result showed that, while access to information lead the decision making process of both female and male farmers; access to credit and household level food security determine land use decision making for male and female respectively. Farmers in Dassari watershed have been adapted in different ways from intensification of fertilizer used to prayers to the gods. However, they also identified some limitations to the adaptation measures undertaken before listing their recommendations on how to improve things for the benefit of the farmer and for everybody. From these findings, advices have been given that more opportunity should be given to the women in this area to participate in (natural) resources management and decision making process; in order to help the community with regards to poverty alleviation and sustainable management of resources.