Purpose – Climate change continues to pose a serious challenge to mankind. Given their
socio-economic and vulnerable situations, resource-poor farmers will be hard hit and likely to be the
most affected group in Africa – a continent that will bear the full brunt of inclement weather
conditions. The purpose of this paper is to address the questions of how local farmers read and predict
the weather, and how best they can collaborate with weather scientists in adapting to climate change
and variability in the Okavango Delta of Botswana.
Design/methodology/approach – A multi-stage sampling procedure was employed in sampling
a total of 592 households heads (both men and women) in eight rural communities in the Okavango
Delta, Botswana.
Findings – Analysis indicates that about 80 per cent of the farmers had a good knowledge of weather
forecasting. In a knowledge validation workshop organised and implemented in early August 2012,
farmers and scientists identified a nine-point agenda and strategies for addressing the challenges
posed by climate change to community well-being and agricultural production. Knowledge sharing,
installation of community weather stations and local-level capacity building are amongst the
strategies identified.
Research limitations/implications – The research is only limited to the Okavango Delta, Botswana.
Originality/value – The paper emanates from original field research. The outcome of the paper
provides pertinent information for policy formulation on how best to enhance small farmers’ adaptation
to climate change.