Climate Change, Agricultural Disruption, and Household Welfare in Zambia: AI, Digital Innovation and Pathways to Resilience in Western Province

Jwau Pelekelo, Dr.Sumathi K. Sripathi

Climate Change; Agriculture; Household Welfare; Zambia; Western Province; Artificial Intelligence; Digital Transformation; Climate Resilience.

Climate change poses an existential challenge to agricultural productivity and household welfare in sub-Saharan Africa, with Zambia’s Western Province including Mongu District particularly vulnerable to recurrent droughts, flooding, and erratic rainfall patterns that devastate subsistence farming livelihoods. This article examines the impact of climate change on agricultural systems and household welfare in Western Province, Zambia, contextualising local realities within global scholarship on artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and data-driven climate resilience. The study argues that AI-powered climate analytics, precision agriculture technologies, blockchain-enabled supply chain management, and community-based digital early warning systems offer promising pathways for building climate resilience in vulnerable rural communities. Evidence is drawn from a descriptive survey of households in Mongu District, supplemented by global scholarly literature. Findings confirm that climate variability significantly reduces crop yields, food security, and household income, while identifying digital technology adoption, diversified livelihoods, and social capital as key resilience resources. Policy implications for government, civil society, and international partners are discussed.

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