ASSESSING THE STATE OF DROUGHT PREPAREDNESS AMONG SMALLHOLDER

This study assesses the level of drought preparedness among smallholder farmers in Traditional Authority (T/A) Kyungu, Karonga District, an area highly vulnerable to climate induced droughts. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining quantitative household surveys (n=47) with qualitative data from focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Findings reveal that while farmers employ various adaptive strategies such as livestock keeping (93.6%), planting drought-resistant crops (87.2%), and conservation agriculture (59.6%), the overall level of preparedness remains inadequate. The Disaster Preparedness Index (DPI) showed that 72.34% of farmers fell into the moderate preparedness category, 27.66% in low, and none in the high category. Major barriers to effective preparedness include limited access to early warning systems, agricultural extension services, irrigation infrastructure, and financial resources. The study recommends strengthening institutional support, improving climate information dissemination, promoting inclusive financial services, and enhancing seed systems and land tenure security to build long term resilience among smallholder farmers.