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FARMERS’ RISK PERCEPTION, VULNERABILITY AND ADAPTATION STRATEGY TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN COASTAL ECOSYSTEM OF WEST BENGAL

KrishiKosh

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Title FARMERS’ RISK PERCEPTION, VULNERABILITY AND ADAPTATION STRATEGY TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN COASTAL ECOSYSTEM OF WEST BENGAL
 
Creator SUJIT SARKAR
 
Contributor R.N. Padaria
 
Subject climate, climatic change, biological phenomena, adaptation, area, land resources, crops, marketing, irrigation, economic systems
 
Description t-8167
Climate change has undoubtedly emerged as the gravest challenge across the
globe and the search for appropriate adaptation mechanisms and measures to reduce the
negative consequences has become still more an arduous task for the planners and policy
makers. The socio-economic concerns are disquieting particularly for the developing
countries as it is reported that population in these areas would be more vulnerable. Hence
it is important to conduct socio-economic studies related to climate change in order to
devise appropriate strategy for preparedness and adaptation. The present study was
conducted with specific objectives of assessing the level of awareness of farmers about
climate change and its consequences in coastal ecosystems, studying the farmers’ risk
perception about climate change, analyzing farmers’ vulnerability to climate change and
their adaptation strategy, documenting and analyzing traditional ecological knowledge for
sustainable utilization and management of agro-ecosystems of coastal areas, and
formulating extension strategy for capacity building of farmers for effective adaptation to
climate change.
The study was conducted in the coastal ecosystem of Sunderbnas of West Bengal.
The district South-24 Pargana was selected purposively, while the two blocks and three
villages and a total of 120 farmers were selected randomly. It was observed that majority
of the farmers (40 %) belonged to adult age category (37-49 years) and about 38 per cent
of respondents were illiterate. A majority of them (41.7%) belonged to General Caste
category followed by Schedule Caste (33.3%). There was predominance of farmers with
marginal holding and low annual income. The important sources of information included
neighbors (46.7 per cent), Nimpeeth Ashram – an religious organization (56.7 per cent)
and radio (20 per cent). A majority of the respondents belonged to very low category of
economic motivation (43.3 per cent), scientific orientation (40 per cent), innovativeness
(73.3 per cent) and risk orientation (48.3 per cent). The calculated vulnerability index
showed that a majority of the respondents (about 47 per cent) belonged to highly
vulnerable category. The multiple regression analysis to identify predictor variables with
R2 value as 0.6745 showed regressions fit as impressive. Innovativeness (P< 0.01), mass
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media source of information (P< 0.01), education (P< 0.01), occupation of agriculture
(P< 0.05), social participation (P< 0.05), scientific orientation (P< 0.05)and risk
orientation (P< 0.05) were found to be significant predictor variables for vulnerability
index. Most of the farmers being old time immigrant (57.5%) having mostly local kinship
ties (76.7%) showed existence of cohesiveness in the area. Farmers had high level of
training need in the areas like sericulture (MS:1.33), fertigation (MS:1.23), organic
farming (MS:1.33), multiple cropping (MS:1.35), sustainable farm management
(MS:1.38) and entrepreneurship (MS:1.77), etc. Traditional practices documented from
farmers like land shaping, embankment cultivation, pot irrigation, dhibi cultivation, etc
hold potential for integration in adaptive measures. The study underlines the importance
of capacity building of farmers as well as the extension professionals with educational
campaign and trainings or better adaptation capabilities.
 
Date 2016-12-23T11:53:56Z
2016-12-23T11:53:56Z
2009
 
Type Thesis
 
Identifier http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/92399
 
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