The role of civil society organizations in enhancing local adaptation to climate change in Bagamoyo district, Tanzania

Climate change is increasingly affecting the livelihoods of the local communities. Adaptation to climate change is historical and location specific. The civil society organizations (CSOs) are important in adaptation to climate change as they structure and shape the climate risks; organize the incentives for local adaptive responses and mediate the external interventions that suit the local context. Knowledge on the local communities’ adaptive responses and the role of CSOs in adaptation to climate change is missing. The main objective of this study was therefore to assess the role of CSOs in enhancing adaptation to climate change in Bagamoyo district, Tanzania. Specifically, the study aimed at exploring the influence of civil society organizations in shaping the local communities’ perceptions to climate change; assessing the adaptation strategies by the local communities in response to the impacts of climate change; and examining the potential role of civil society organizations in enhancing the local community adaptation to climate change. Methodological approaches were defined within the mixed method research design where qualitative and quantitative methods were used to collect data using questionnaire, interviews, FGDs, and observations from 156 respondents. The category of participants included household heads, chairpersons of CSOs who were sampled through random and purposive sampling techniques. Quantitative data were analyzed by using IBM SPSS version 20. Qualitative data analysis involved the content analysis. The findings indicated that majority of the farming households (88%) and (71%) perceived long-term changes in precipitation patterns and temperature as having decreased and increased respectively. The farmers’ perceptions on climate change have been advanced by both informal and formal CSOs. The results indicated that the farming households respond by resorting to on farming and non-farming adaptation strategies such as changing planting dates, the crop type, storage, mobility and livelihood diversification. These strategies were motivated by the institutional factors which determine access to weather and climate information, extension services and agricultural credits. The findings revealed that CSOs had potential to enhance local adaptation to climate change through mediating external interventions which fit the local context. These include weather and climate information, social support, economic empowerment and the linkage to external support. It was concluded that civil society organizations had potential role in enhancing local adaptation to climate change. It was recommended that in order to improve the role of civil society organizations, the farming household adaptation strategies, the civil society organizations need to be supported by the government and other development stakeholders in order to enable the farming households have access to resources and services necessary for effective adaptation to climate change.