The study investigated the vulnerability of Swaziland’s sugarcane small scale farmer associations (SSFAs) to climate change through the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework. From a survey of 45 SSFAs, representing +2700 farmers, drought emerged as the most significant stress. Droughts result in failed cane germination, increased pests and increased diseases. Farmers indicated that there had no land title deeds and were concerned about the poor state of infield and feeder roads damaged during heavy rainfall and floods. It emerged that the bulk of the SSFAs irrigate during the day, a scenario that leaves them vulnerable to high temperatures leading to high evapotranspiration. In addition, 97% of the SSFAs sampled did not have drought preparedness plans and likewise, all did not have a flood management plan. About 76% of SSFAs operation costs goes to crop upkeep and harvesting, with labour cost increases attributed to extreme weather events. All sampled SSFAs had no insurance against loss from extreme weather events. Given the foregone, the paper recommends that the government fast tracks the 1999 Draft Land Policy intended to address the issue of title deeds. The paper further suggest that extension officers and farmers be trained to sharpen skills on understanding climate change.

这项研究通过可持续生计框架调查了斯威士兰的甘蔗小规模农民协会（SSFA）对气候变化的脆弱性。对代表+2700名农民的45个SSFA进行的调查显示，干旱是最严重的压力。干旱导致甘蔗发芽失败，害虫增加和疾病增加。农民表示没有土地所有权契据，并且对暴雨和洪水造成的内陆和支线道路状况不佳表示关注。结果表明，大部分SSFA在白天进行灌溉，这种情况使它们容易受到高温的影响，从而导致高蒸散量。此外，抽样的97％的SSFA没有制定防旱计划，并且同样没有制定洪水管理计划。SSFA的运营成本中约有76％用于作物的养护和收割，而人工成本的增加归因于极端天气事件。所有抽样的SSFA都没有针对极端天气事件造成的损失的保险。有鉴于此，该文件建议政府快速追踪旨在解决业权契据的1999年土地政策草案。该文件还建议对推广人员和农民进行培训，以提高他们了解气候变化的技能。