GARAI, SANCHITABEHERA, SUBHRAJYOTI2023-10-182023-10-182020https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810199096Climate 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.EnglishThesis