ABSTRACT

Smallholder farmers in the sub-Saharan Africa are vulnerable to climate variability and change, and are thus in need of adaptation. Access to climate information, such as weather forecasts, has been identified as a potential enabler for improved adaptation, but such access tends to be strongly gendered. This study uses qualitative and quantitative data to assess the availability, accessibility and use of climate information among smallholder sugarcane farmers in southern Malawi, disaggregating data according to gender, age, education level and landholding size. We found that radio is the most common, and preferred, means of accessing forecasts for men and women, but that women farmers also prefer to access forecasts through a knowledge broker. Those farmers with higher levels of education (mostly men) prefer to also obtain forecasts via internet and cell phone. Most farmers consider the forecasts reliable, timely and understandable – more so in the case of men than women. Understanding gendered preferences and barriers to climate information access is crucial for benefits of adaptation to be accessed equitably.

摘要

撒哈拉以南非洲的小农易受气候变率和变化的影响，因此需要适应。获取气候信息，例如天气预报，已被确定为改进适应的潜在推动因素，但此类获取往往具有强烈的性别特征。本研究使用定性和定量数据来评估马拉维南部小农甘蔗农民对气候信息的可用性、可获取性和使用情况，并根据性别、年龄、教育水平和土地持有规模对数据进行分类。我们发现广播是获取男性和女性预报的最常见和首选方式，但女性农民也更喜欢通过知识经纪人获取预报。那些受教育程度较高的农民（主要是男性）也更喜欢通过互联网和手机获取预报。大多数农民认为预测可靠、及时且易于理解——男性比女性更是如此。了解气候信息获取的性别偏好和障碍对于公平获取适应的好处至关重要。