Farmers’ perception towards climate change and Adaptation in Bihar: A gender perspective
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Date
2018-07-25
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Department of Extension Education, BAU, Sabour
Abstract
The present study was an attempt to understand the perception of farmers about climate change and document the adaptation strategies to climate change in Bihar. The constraints faced by the farmers in adaptation were also examined. A comparable vulnerability index of both men and women farmers was calculated. This investigation was carried out in four purposively selected districts of Bihar state. This investigation was carried out in four purposively selected districts of Bihar state .A total of 240 respondents, 120 being male and 120 being female were selected as the sample size. The study was conducted in 8 villages selected both purposively and randomly. A multi stage sampling design was adopted to select the sample size.
The major findings of the study revealed that Majority (50.00 per cent) of the men farmers and 45.83 per cent of the women farmers were of the middle age group. Majority of the women farmers and 30.00 per cent of the men farmers were illiterate. Majority of the men and women farmers were of OBC category. Majority (60.00 per cent and 76.67 per cent) of the men and women farmers were of the joint family type. Majority of the respondents were having family size greater than 5 members. Majority of the men and women respondents were having medium farming experience. About social participation, very few respondents were member of milk federation, school and few women were member of self help group in their village. Majority (70.83 per cent) of the farmers were marginal land holders while 16.67 per cent of the farmers were small land holders, and only 6.67 per cent of the farmers were big land holders. Majority of the men and women farmers were of medium annual income. Only
18.33 per cent of men farmers and 37.50 per cent of the women farmers had acquisition of credit. Majority (70.80 per cent and 80.00 per cent) of the men and women farmers were having one to four of the farm implements. Majority of the farmers had to face the problem of market availability which was around 3 to 5 km distance away from their villages. Majority (60.00 percent and 40.83 per cent) of the women and men farmers had medium level of contact with the extension person. Majority (56.67 per cent and 51.67 per cent) of the men and women farmers had medium participation in extension activities. Majority of the respondents (54.17 per cent and 44.17 per cent) had medium extent of use of mass media. Access to weather forecast was available only to 49.17 per cent and 22.50 per cent of the men and women farmers respectively. Majority of the men and women farmers had medium level of risk orientation, innovativeness and decision making pattern.
While the men farmers were more aware of the indicator that climate is getting warmer day by day, the women farmers were more aware of the increase in pollution level of the environment. Majority of the men respondents perceived that in monsoon season onset of monsoon has been delayed, end of monsoon has been early, frequency of dry spell has increased, uneven distribution of rainfall has increased and uncertainty of rainfall has increased. In winter season, onset of winter season has been delayed; duration of winter season has decreased and no of days of severe cold has decreased. In summer season minimum and maximum temperature has increased, onset of summer season was early and end of summer season was delayed, month with intense hot days was increased and rainfall in summer season was also increased. For the same season wise climate change indicators, the women farmers perceived differently as for them, the frequency of dry spell was unchanged; duration of monsoon season was decreased. In winter season intensity of cold wave was increased, no of days of severe cold was increased and duration of winter season was decreased. In summer season end of summer season was delayed, number of intense hot days has increased and intensity of heat wave has increased.
To avoid the climate change extremities, the farmers adopted certain adaptation strategies which was further divided into short term and long term adaptation strategies. Early sowing, crop insurance, mixed cropping, increased seed rate, flood tolerant variety, strengthening of bunds, drought tolerant variety, early maturing variety, low water requirement crops, deep rooted crops, increased irrigation, application of potash and urea, thinning, use of farm implements and pest resistant variety are some of the short duration strategies. Crop diversification, tubewell, ponds, renovation of ponds and wells, polyhouse, checkdam, sprinkler irrigation, INM in crops, backyard poultry and duck farming are some of the long term strategies adopted mainly by the men farmers. The men and women farmers were exposed to same type of climate extremities but it was the coping mechanism which makes the difference in vulnerabilities faced by both the social groups. To overcome these problems, climate change and related issues should be seen from a gender lens and the policy implications must be more gender just.