Impact of cultural beliefs on smallholders’ response to climate change: the case of Bamenda Highlands, Cameroon

ABSTRACT

Farmers’ perceptions and responses to climate change vary across Africa. This paper investigates the impacts of cultural beliefs on smallholders’ perceptions and responses to climate change and the implicit gender relations. A field visit was conducted in the Oku community, Bamenda Highlands, Cameroon in 2015 using open-ended questions. Witchcraft and ancestral retribution were the predominant beliefs associated with the causes of climate change and adaptation strategies. Therefore, the cultural dimension should be considered when planning climate change awareness programmes and during the design of adaptation policies.

KEYWORDS:

• Witchcraft
• climate change
• gender
• adaptation
• Cameroon

Acknowledgments

The author is most grateful for the financial support received from the University of Johannesburg for the funding of this research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.