3.2.5. Off-Farm Adaptation and Management Practices

Table 7 shows the various off-farm adaptation measures some of which are related to provisioning ES. Up to seven different off-farm responses were identified in the study area. Among the measures involving the exploitation of provisioning ES were starting a small business, trading in at least one provisioning ES (31.9%), such as selling charcoal and/or firewood (45.2%). Some reported to forming committees to protect natural pastures and/or water for their livestock (14.5%) while others invested in grain storage (39%) or hired out grazing land to livestock owners (5.5%) to raise income. A significant proportion of the households (78.1%) reported the migration of some of the household members in search of employment in neighboring towns such as Selebi Phikwe or to major cities such as Francistown and Gaborone.

**Table 7.** Off-farm adaptation measure used by households in Bobirwa sub-district.


Significance levels: \* *p* < 0.05, \*\* *p* < 0.01, \*\*\* *p* < 0.001. Source: Household Survey Data, 2017.

The extent of adoption of various combinations of the off-farm measures in Table 7 is shown in Figure 6.

**Figure 6.** Extent of adoption of off-farm management and adaptation measures (n = 310).

Only 6.4% of the households did not have any off-farm adaptation measures indicating that there was a high proportion of households using ecosystem products and other off-farm livelihood options to cope with the adverse impacts of climate. Most of the households used two (27.7%) followed by three (22.3%) off-farm adaptations in Table 7. About 19% of the households were engaged in only one or four different off-farm activities to complement cultivated agriculture and livestock production as a livelihood source and a coping mechanism. The combined proportion of households engaged in at least five up to a maximum of seven different off-farm adaptation initiatives and coping mechanisms was 8.3%. Almost 85% of the households used up to four different off-farm adaptation initiatives in Table 7.
