Impact of Climate Change and Coping Strategies in Context of Agriculture: A Study in Rajanpur District of Punjab, Pakistan

Keywords: Agriculture, climate change, vulnerable, coping strategy, adaptation
Abstract Type: Poster Abstract

Abstract

Pakistan is one of the most vulnerable countries especially in Southeast Asia experiencing floods and droughts as a result of climate change. Agriculture is most vulnerable to climate change due to its high dependence on climate and weather. Variation in climate adversely affects agriculture sector. This research explores the impact of climate change on agricultural productivity and coping strategies in flood prone arid area of Rajanpur district of the Punjab, Pakistan. Rajanpur district was selected purposively because it is badly affected by floods and is always prone to natural disasters. Based on the farm household data from the 140 households were collected. Both Quantitative and qualitative data were collected by using the well-structured interview schedule and focus group discussions. The results demonstrate that awareness of climate change is widespread throughout the area, and farming households adjust their farming in response to climate change. Overwhelming majority of the respondents said that agricultural productivity has been adversely affected due to climate change. Fewer respondents were using coping strategies to mitigate the negative consequences of climate change. The study's findings suggest that in order to increase farmers' well-being, more investment in farmer education and stronger institutional structure for climate change adaptation is needed.