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ThesisItem Open Access Farm household vulnerability and coping mechanisms for climate change: a study of Kumaon division of Uttarakhand(G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar - 263145 (Uttarakhand), 2015-07) Arya, Alka; Srivastava, S.K.Climate change is one of the most serious global environmental challenges of the present century. The present study was conducted in Kumaon division of Uttarakhand, with the objectives to examine the socioeconomic status, to identify and prioritize the effect of climate change, to examine the farm household vulnerability, to examine the coping mechanisms used by farm households in response to climate change and to identify the determinants of coping mechanisms used by farm households in response to climate change. The present study utilized both primary and secondary data. Primary data were collected for the year 2013-14 through the survey of sample households. For primary data, multistage stratified random sampling technique was followed to select 45 farmers from different altitudes of hill region and 60 farmers from different farm size group of plain region of the Kumaon division. To examine the socio economic status, effects of climate change and coping mechanisms used by farm households, descriptive statistical tools were used. Vulnerability indices have been constructed to examine the vulnerability status of farm households. Logistic regression model was used to identify the determinants of coping mechanisms used by farm households in response to climate change. The average operational holding of plain region (2.90 ha) is found more than seven times high as compared to hilly region (0.38 ha). In Kumaon division number of male members (2.24) has been found slightly higher than the female members (1.83). More than 50 per cent area to total cropped area devoted to subsistence food grains. Numbers of buffaloes per households (0.68) was highest in total livestock population. Annual income of farm households of plain region (Rs. 217747.90) appeared 3.5 times more than the annual income of hill farmers. Crop production appeared as the main source of income in plains (74.80 per cent) while service sectors (55.25 per cent) dominate in the hill region. All the farmers across the hills as well as plains observed that the unpredictability of weather and problem of uneven rainfall have been increased as compared to the previous years. Farm households of hills (95.55 per cent) are found to be more affected by the increase in temperature as compared to that of plains (38.33 per cent). Rabi season crops have been found more affected due to climate change as compared to the Kharif season crops. In the Kumaon region farm households of hills are found vulnerable (0.38-0.81) as compared to that of the plains (0.22-0.70). In plains 61.67 per cent of farm households belonged to ‘moderate’ vulnerable status while in hills only 20 per cent of the farm households were moderate vulnerable. In hills 71.11 per cent of farm households are found highly vulnerable while, in plains only 31.67 per cent of farm households are highly vulnerable. In hills 8.89 per cent of households belonged to ‘very high’ vulnerable status while, in plains none of the farm households belongs to ‘very high’ vulnerable status. In plains 6.67 per cent farm households belong to ‘low’ vulnerable status while, in hills none of the farm households belongs to ‘low’ vulnerable status. In overall Kumaon division 48.57 per cent of the farm households belongs to ‘high’ vulnerable status, followed by 43.81 per cent farm households belongs to moderate’ vulnerable status and 3.81 per cent households belongs to ‘low’ as well as ‘very high’ vulnerable status in the society. Wide gap observed between the vulnerability of marginal and large farm households in the plains. On overall basis the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand falls under ‘high’ vulnerable status in terms of ecological security, economic efficiency and social security. It is found that in hills, very less number of farmers are using coping mechanisms against the adverse effect of climate change. The main coping strategies that are observed to be adopted by the sample farm households are irrigation practices to overcome the problem of water insufficiency (mainly in plains and low hills), planting different varieties of the existing crops to increase the production and to reduce the burden of pest and diseases, and use of chemicals to reduce the infestation of pest and diseases in the crop plants. In hills out of seven identified variable six variables i.e. age of household head, size of land holdings, on farm income of the family, literacy rate, access to information and access to credit were found to have significant and positive impact on the probability of using coping mechanisms against adverse effect of climate change, while in plains six variables i.e. age of household head, size of land holdings, on farm income of the family, family size, access to information and access to credit had positive and significant impact on the coping mechanisms. On overall basis in Kumaon division six variables viz., (age of the household head, on-farm income of the family; size of land holdings, literacy rate, access to information and access to credit) are found to significantly influencing the probability of using coping mechanisms by farm households against adverse effect of climate change.ThesisItem Open Access Farm household vulnerability and coping mechanisms for climate change: a study of Kumaon division of Uttarakhand(G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar - 263145 (Uttarakhand), 2015-07) Arya, Alka; Srivastava, S.K.Climate change is one of the most serious global environmental challenges of the present century. The present study was conducted in Kumaon division of Uttarakhand, with the objectives to examine the socioeconomic status, to identify and prioritize the effect of climate change, to examine the farm household vulnerability, to examine the coping mechanisms used by farm households in response to climate change and to identify the determinants of coping mechanisms used by farm households in response to climate change. The present study utilized both primary and secondary data. Primary data were collected for the year 2013-14 through the survey of sample households. For primary data, multistage stratified random sampling technique was followed to select 45 farmers from different altitudes of hill region and 60 farmers from different farm size group of plain region of the Kumaon division. To examine the socio economic status, effects of climate change and coping mechanisms used by farm households, descriptive statistical tools were used. Vulnerability indices have been constructed to examine the vulnerability status of farm households. Logistic regression model was used to identify the determinants of coping mechanisms used by farm households in response to climate change. The average operational holding of plain region (2.90 ha) is found more than seven times high as compared to hilly region (0.38 ha). In Kumaon division number of male members (2.24) has been found slightly higher than the female members (1.83). More than 50 per cent area to total cropped area devoted to subsistence food grains. Numbers of buffaloes per households (0.68) was highest in total livestock population. Annual income of farm households of plain region (Rs. 217747.90) appeared 3.5 times more than the annual income of hill farmers. Crop production appeared as the main source of income in plains (74.80 per cent) while service sectors (55.25 per cent) dominate in the hill region. All the farmers across the hills as well as plains observed that the unpredictability of weather and problem of uneven rainfall have been increased as compared to the previous years. Farm households of hills (95.55 per cent) are found to be more affected by the increase in temperature as compared to that of plains (38.33 per cent). Rabi season crops have been found more affected due to climate change as compared to the Kharif season crops. In the Kumaon region farm households of hills are found vulnerable (0.38-0.81) as compared to that of the plains (0.22-0.70). In plains 61.67 per cent of farm households belonged to ‘moderate’ vulnerable status while in hills only 20 per cent of the farm households were moderate vulnerable. In hills 71.11 per cent of farm households are found highly vulnerable while, in plains only 31.67 per cent of farm households are highly vulnerable. In hills 8.89 per cent of households belonged to ‘very high’ vulnerable status while, in plains none of the farm households belongs to ‘very high’ vulnerable status. In plains 6.67 per cent farm households belong to ‘low’ vulnerable status while, in hills none of the farm households belongs to ‘low’ vulnerable status. In overall Kumaon division 48.57 per cent of the farm households belongs to ‘high’ vulnerable status, followed by 43.81 per cent farm households belongs to ‘moderate’ vulnerable status and 3.81 per cent households belongs to ‘low’ as well as ‘very high’ vulnerable status in the society. Wide gap observed between the vulnerability of marginal and large farm households in the plains. On overall basis the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand falls under ‘high’ vulnerable status in terms of ecological security, economic efficiency and social security. It is found that in hills, very less number of farmers are using coping mechanisms against the adverse effect of climate change. The main coping strategies that are observed to be adopted by the sample farm households are irrigation practices to overcome the problem of water insufficiency (mainly in plains and low hills), planting different varieties of the existing crops to increase the production and to reduce the burden of pest and diseases, and use of chemicals to reduce the infestation of pest and diseases in the crop plants. In hills out of seven identified variable six variables i.e. age of household head, size of land holdings, on farm income of the family, literacy rate, access to information and access to credit were found to have significant and positive impact on the probability of using coping mechanisms against adverse effect of climate change, while in plains six variables i.e. age of household head, size of land holdings, on farm income of the family, family size, access to information and access to credit had positive and significant impact on the coping mechanisms. On overall basis in Kumaon division six variables viz., (age of the household head, on-farm income of the family; size of land holdings, literacy rate, access to information and access to credit) are found to significantly influencing the probability of using coping mechanisms by farm households against adverse effect of climate change.