Farmers’ Perceptions and Adaptation Strategies to Climate Change
Summary
Farmers around the globe are increasingly confronted with shifting temperature regimes, altered precipitation patterns and more frequent extreme weather events. Their perceptions of these changes are shaped by local observations, memory of past events and socio-economic conditions such as education, farm size and access to extension services. While many recognise rising heat and irregular rainfall, there is often a divergence between perceived trends and meteorological records, which can either spur or hinder adaptive action. Adaptation strategies span crop and livestock diversification, adoption of drought-tolerant varieties, soil and water conservation practices and, where feasible, irrigation systems. Successful adaptation depends on the timely provision of down-scaled climate information, supportive institutional frameworks, access to credit and insurance, and the integration of traditional knowledge with scientific advice. Understanding the interplay between perception, risk assessment and adaptive capacity is essential to enhance resilience, safeguard livelihoods and secure global food production.
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Farmers’ Perceptions and Adaptation Strategies to Climate Change publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in farmers’ perceptions and adaptation strategies to climate change across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Adaptation strategies: Deliberate adjustments in agricultural practices to reduce vulnerability to climate impacts and enhance resilience.
Resilience: The capacity of an agroecosystem to absorb shocks and maintain functionality in the face of climatic stress.
Down-scaled climate information: High-resolution weather data refined from global models to reflect local agroecological conditions.
Perceived risk: An individual’s subjective judgement of the likelihood and severity of climate-related hazards.
Agroecosystem: A dynamic community of plants and animals interacting within a managed agricultural environment.
References
- Climate change vulnerability and resilience strategies for citrus farmers. Environmental and Sustainability Indicators (2023).
- From climate perceptions to actions: A case study on coffee farms in Ethiopia. Ambio (2024).
- Exploring smallholder farmers’ perceptions of climate change and its adaptation options in the Dire Dawa administration zone, Eastern Ethiopia. International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management (2024).
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