Smallholder sheep farmers’ perceived impact of water scarcity in the dry ecozones of South Africa: Determinants and response strategies

Water scarcity is amongst the major challenges threatening smallholder sheep production in subsistence-oriented communal farms dryland areas. Local contextual factors are a prerequisite for effective policy development and optimisation of water resources management production. Two-hundred fifty-two structured questionnaires were administered to investigate that influence farmers’ perceived impact on dry ecozones Cape provinces South Africa identify their local response strategies. Logit regression findings showed unit increase private commercially-oriented arid farms, males, education level, flock size, adapted breeds income from livestock increased probability perceive Regardless ecozone farm types, farmers switched between sources, provided supplementary feed shade, used alternative markets manage scarcity. Interventions build resilience surveyed areas should target with low adaptive capacity, particularly less educated women relying farming non-adapted semiarid ecozone.