Farmers’ perceptions of climate change impacts in semi-arid regions : Policy Implications (Chapter-4).

Abstract

Climate change has a multi-dimensional effect on the livelihood of farmers, especially in the semi-arid regions. There is a need to evolve a strategy on technology, investment and policies that help the local community and government to prepare for the adverse impact of climate change. An effort was made to understand the perception of farmers as part of the 'National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture' (NICRA) launched by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research(/CAR) during 20 71. Thecurrent study aims at analysing the' perceptions of farmers on effects of climate change, yield, employment, livestock, irrigation and income of farm households. Primary data were collected from two drought-prone districts ofTelangana and Karnataka State. Thesurvey was conducted by selecting a sample of 45 farm households in each of the districts. The study reveals that the effect of drought on the yield of Kharif crops like paddy, cotton and red gram was more than 55 per cent in Nalgonda district while Belgaum district experienced crop failure. In the case of livestock productivity, there was a reduction in productivity by 60 per cent in Nalgonda district. In Belgaum district of Karnataka, farmers experienced loss in their farm income to the tune of 90 per cent while income from other sources like non-farm activities within the village and engagement in other villages did not have much impact due to climate change. The farmers of Nalgonda district sought employment in non-farm activities in places outside their village as a coping strategy to sustain their livelihood. There are other intra-household issues for the farmers like travelling a long distance to fetch drinking water in Na/gonda district. While in Belgaum, farmers have to go longer distances in search of grazing land due to the impact of climate change. The immediate impacts observed due to climate change on natural resources are considerable decrease in vegetation cover,productive capacity of the soil and availability of groundwater as perceived by farmers in both the districts. The study arrives at the conclusion that all the major flagship programmes related to agriculture, natural resource management and infrastructure, etc., must be properly examined for their implications on climate change before implementation in the field to minimise the adverse effects of climate change