ADAPTIVE CAPACITY TO CLIMATE CHANGE AMONG THE CHILIKA BUFFALO REARERS OF ODISHA
Loading...
Date
2020
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
ICAR-NDRI, KARNAL
Abstract
Climate change combined with human activities poses significant risks to people’s livelihood
especially in developing countries. Adaptation at the community level is of crucial in enabling
them to respond to the direct and indirect effects of changes in climate. When, this adaptation
planning is targeted towards a particular breed, then, it is very crucial to understand its existing
rearing practices and how its rearers’ perceived its sensitivity towards changing climate
scenario which will, further, help to assess the capacity of its rearers to combat with the adverse
effect of the changing climatic scenario. The present study was purposively conducted at the
Chilika lake region of Odisha as the breeding tract of Chilika buffalo. A total 150 Chilika
buffalo rearers were selected randomly from the cluster villages of the adjacent districts of
Chilika lake. Exiting Chilika buffalo rearing practices were documented through focused group
discussion as well as observation method on the four components viz. exiting breeding
practices, existing feeding practices, existing healthcare practices and existing management
practices. Majority of the Chilika buffalo rearers (68%) preferring natural service as a breeding
methods for their buffaloes. Majority of the respondents (50.66%) practiced both grazing and
stall feeding method of feeding. Majority of the respondents (62%) did not feeding concentrates
to their buffaloes. They were mainly depended on the natural vegetation of the Chilika lake for
the feeding purposes. Chilika buffaloes were suffering from FMD (74%) followed by bovine
viral disease (34.66%), fever (24.66%). Majority of the respondents (87.67%) consulted
Government veterinarians for the treatment of their sick buffaloes. Majority of the respondents
(87.33%) were milking their animals once a day and by full hand method. None of the
respondents was having shelter of pucca floor with good sanitary condition for their buffaloes.
They were mainly keeping their animals in an open area. To quantify the perceived sensitivity
of the climate change on Chilika buffalo, Analytic Hierarchy Process was applied with the help
of four components and 16 indicators. Among all the components, Chilika buffaloes rearers
were prioritized feed and fodder availability and utilization was highly affected due to climate
change followed by productive performance, reproductive performance and disease incidences
and susceptibility. Lactation length and calving interval of the Chilika buffalo was mostly
affected productive and reproductive performance, respectively, due to the changing climatic
scenario as perceived by its rearers followed by dry period. Whereas, feed and fodder intake of
the Chilika buffalo was reduced and incidences of heat stress/extreme climate events related
illness and mortality was increased due to changing climatic scenario. Sustainable Livelihood
Approach (SLA) was used to develop Adaptive Capacity Assessment Index to measure the
adaptive capacity of the Chilika buffalo rearers. They were having better physical capital (0.55)
possession followed by social capital (0.48), financial capital (0.47), human capital (0.45) and
natural capital (0.35). The average adaptive capacity of the Chilika buffalo rearers was found
be as 0.46, which is quite unsatisfactory and majority of them (62.67%) were having a medium
level of adaptive capacity to cope up with changing climatic scenario. Adaptive capacity of the
Chilika buffalo rearers were having a strong and significant (p<0.01) relationship with its every
components. To strengthen the adaptive capacity of the Chilka buffalo rearers, status of the
each and every capital has to be improved significantly.