Dissertation Abstracts
Climate Change Impact and Response of Farmers in Rice-Wheat system of Rupendehi District, Nepal
Author: Dhanej Thapa, dhanejthapa@hotmail.com
Department: Department of Development Studies
University: Kathmandu, Nepal
Supervisor: Chhatra Mani Sharma
Year of completion: 2013
Language of dissertation: English
Areas of Research: Agriculture and Food , Environment and Society , Risk and Uncertainty
Abstract
Climatic risks are in every sector, but agriculture is the most sensitive sector to climate change and variability as it can be affected by the change in temperature, radiation, rainfall, soil moisture and carbon dioxide (CO2) with complex relationships. Recent studies predicted the future decline of food production with the change in temperature and precipitation. In this context, farmers must understand and adapt to climate change impact to minimize their unpredicted agriculture losses. This study aimed to explore the different drivers of agriculture change in Rupandehi district and analyze possible linkage with climatic stresses faced by farmers. The research findings suggest that farmers have perceived climate risks such as drought and erratic rainfall and increasing summer temperature. However, their changes in current agricultural practices are not only influenced by climatic risk. Along with climatic risk, farmers have considered other multiple stresses and opportunities seen in their local setting. Some local level adaptation initiatives and other new agricultural technological changes are being introduced by farmers; testimony to farmers adaptive skills. There is no doubt that farmers are the active agent of change; they speculate the changing circumstance and adopt new changes. However, their concerns are more on addressing short-term changes in their agricultural field. The finding of the study also suggests that current change in cropping system is not sufficient for adopting long-term sustainable agriculture practices. Farmers must need authentic climate information and alertness to adapt local consequences of climate change.