PERCEPTION OF FARMERS ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE AND ITS IMPACT ON CROP PRODUCTIVITY

Abstract

Climate change is a major threat to agriculture sustainability, particularly in dry and semi-arid climate like Southern Punjab, Pakistan. The purpose of this study was to assess the perceptions of farmers, climatic changes experienced by them, impacts of climatic changes on the productivity of crops, adaptation strategies adopted and constraints faced by farmers in the study area of three districts of Southern Punjab (Multan, Muzaffargarh, and Bahawalpur). The study used a quantitative cross sectional survey design and 120 farmers were sampled and primary data collected using structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA and Pearson correlation analysis was used. The results showed that awareness level of the farmers about climate change is high and most farmers reported an increase in summer temperature, delay in monsoon and decrease in winter temperature. The most serious threats identified are heat stress and water scarcity, and cotton is the most sensitive crop to them, followed by wheat and rice. The main adaptation options that should be considered were changing planting dates and introducing seeds with drought resistance. But there were a number of constraints that farmers experienced especially financial resources and access to information related to climate. The ANOVA result revealed that there was no significant difference in the awareness of climate change between districts, yet the perception of the impacts of climate change on productivity was significant across districts. Correlation analysis showed that education level and climate awareness were related positively while age and farming experience were related either positively or negatively with perceived yield losses. The study suggests that, while farmers are aware of climate change, and they are taking measures to cope with it, their adaptive ability is still limited due to socioeconomic and institutional factors.

Keywords: Climate change, adaptation, farmers’ perception, Southern Punjab, agriculture, Pakistan.