Table 3. Farmers´ perceptions of needs... | Emerald Publishing

Table 3.

Farmers´ perceptions of needs and actions for building future drought resilience in Bugesera

Perceived needs	Suggested resilience pathways
Minimise impacts of droughts Scale-up irrigation Diversify crops for food production Grow more trees and protect forests Protect the soil and its moisture	Improve crop production and forestry Rainwater harvesting for supplemental irrigation on farms Regular fruit tree planting, practice crop rotation to diversify risks Mulching practices to keep soil moisture on seasonal crops and scale up agroforestry with big leaves to enable shadow Avoid overgrazing and push for zero-grazing
Development of livelihood assets Small businesses, trade different items Agriculture for self-reliance in food supply Livestock for manure to boost crop production Raising cattle (goats, sheep and pigs) Small business in vegetable and fruit production	Suggested actions to increase drought resilience Create farmers´ cooperatives, Use of selected seeds and fertilisers, land preparation and planting on time Livestock for manure to boost crop production Kitchen garden at each household using rainwater
Actions in cooperation with others Work and harvest together in cooperatives Conduct study tours to get inspired by others and learn from each other Support for irrigation equipment and a meeting facility for sharing knowledge Regular meetings for brainstorming, set up goals, and perform according to plans	Collaboration opportunities Extended market-oriented agriculture Farmers on-field training Creation of diversified cooperatives Growing crops based on the market’s needs Sharing ideas and best practices among others for common understanding Values of trust and honesty

Perceived needs	Suggested resilience pathways
Minimise impacts of droughts Scale-up irrigation Diversify crops for food production Grow more trees and protect forests Protect the soil and its moisture	Improve crop production and forestry Rainwater harvesting for supplemental irrigation on farms Regular fruit tree planting, practice crop rotation to diversify risks Mulching practices to keep soil moisture on seasonal crops and scale up agroforestry with big leaves to enable shadow Avoid overgrazing and push for zero-grazing
Development of livelihood assets Small businesses, trade different items Agriculture for self-reliance in food supply Livestock for manure to boost crop production Raising cattle (goats, sheep and pigs) Small business in vegetable and fruit production	Suggested actions to increase drought resilience Create farmers´ cooperatives, Use of selected seeds and fertilisers, land preparation and planting on time Livestock for manure to boost crop production Kitchen garden at each household using rainwater
Actions in cooperation with others Work and harvest together in cooperatives Conduct study tours to get inspired by others and learn from each other Support for irrigation equipment and a meeting facility for sharing knowledge Regular meetings for brainstorming, set up goals, and perform according to plans	Collaboration opportunities Extended market-oriented agriculture Farmers on-field training Creation of diversified cooperatives Growing crops based on the market’s needs Sharing ideas and best practices among others for common understanding Values of trust and honesty

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