Perceptions, Knowledge and Adaptation about Climate Change: A Study on Farmers of Haor Areas after a Flash Flood in Bangladesh
Abstract
:1. Introduction
- (1)
- To explore the extent of awareness regarding climate change, including farmers’ perceptions and attitudes about climate change, as such factors are significantly associated with positive adaptation of lowland rice farmers to climate change and variability;
- (2)
- To identify farmers’ knowledge about climate change vulnerability;
- (3)
- To determine, among others, the socioeconomic factors that significantly affect farm-level adaptation strategies due to climate change in the context of lowland rice farmers;
- (4)
- To analyze farm-level adaptation strategies after early flash floods due to changing climate conditions.
2. Materials
2.1. Study Areas
2.2. Sample Size
2.3. Sampling Technique and Data Collection
3. Methodology
3.1. Severity Index
- q0 = Strongly disagree, ;
- q1 = Disagree, ;
- q2 = Moderate, ;
- q3 = Agree, and;
- q4 = Strongly agree, .
- Group 1: Perceptions and attitudes regarding climate change issues.
- Group 2: Knowledge of climate change vulnerability.
3.2. Chi-Square Statistic
3.3. Bivariate Logistic Regression
3.3.1. Dependent Variable
3.3.2. Predictor Variables
3.4. Weighted Average Index
4. Results
4.1. Farmers’ Perceptions and Attitudes towards Climate Change
4.2. Farmers’ Knowledge about Climate Change Vulnerability
4.3. Cross Tabulation Results
4.4. Percentage of Farmers Who Have Taken Loans and Employed Adaptation Strategies
4.5. Factors Affecting Farmers’ Adaptation Practices
4.5.1. Socioeconomic Status
4.5.2. Farm Information
4.5.3. Institutional Accessibility and Credit from NGOs
4.5.4. Market Accessibility and Rural Market Structure
4.6. Farmers’ Ranking of Adaptation Practices
5. Discussion
6. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Descriptions of the Selected Items | SD (0) | DA (1) | MA (2) | A (3) | SA (4) | SI (%) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Climate change affects rice production | NRS | 1 | 1 | 3 | 85 | 288 | 93.52 |
PRS | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 22.5 | 76.2 | ||
New diseases appear in agricultural crops | NRS | 4 | 82 | 25 | 154 | 113 | 69.18 |
PRS | 1.1 | 21.7 | 6.6 | 40.7 | 29.9 | ||
Drought is increasing | NRS | 222 | 156 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41.27 |
PRS | 58.7 | 41.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Climate change is a serious problem | NRS | 0 | 0 | 29 | 177 | 172 | 84.46 |
PRS | 0 | 0 | 7.7 | 46.8 | 45.5 | ||
Climate change already affects the Bangladeshi agricultural sector | NRS | 0 | 46 | 105 | 159 | 68 | 66.47 |
PRS | 0 | 12.2 | 27.8 | 42.1 | 18.0 | ||
Climate change is already affecting my local climate | NRS | 0 | 1 | 29 | 168 | 180 | 84.85 |
PRS | 0 | 0.3 | 7.7 | 44.4 | 47.6 | ||
Climate change will have a direct impact on me | NRS | 0 | 0 | 27 | 161 | 190 | 85.78 |
PRS | 0 | 0 | 7.1 | 42.6 | 50.3 | ||
Precipitation is increasing | NRS | 0 | 0 | 26 | 153 | 199 | 86.44 |
PRS | 0 | 0 | 6.9 | 40.5 | 52.6 | ||
Cyclones are increasing | NRS | 1 | 3 | 20 | 105 | 249 | 89.55 |
PRS | 0.3 | 0.8 | 5.3 | 27.8 | 65.9 | ||
I feel adaptation has become necessary for all of us | NRS | 2 | 11 | 110 | 176 | 79 | 71.10 |
PRS | 0.5 | 2.9 | 29.1 | 46.6 | 20.9 |
Descriptions of the Selected Items | NC (0) | DK (1) | NM (2) | K (3) | WK (4) | SI (%) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Climate is changing | NRS | 1 | 3 | 12 | 342 | 20 | 74.93 |
PRS | 0.3 | 0.8 | 3.2 | 90.5 | 5.3 | ||
Consequences of climate change | NRS | 0 | 5 | 181 | 190 | 2 | 62.50 |
PRS | 0 | 1.3 | 47.9 | 50.3 | 0.5 | ||
Causes of climate changing | NRS | 0 | 135 | 89 | 151 | 3 | 51.46 |
PRS | 0 | 35.7 | 23.5 | 39.9 | 0.8 | ||
Major climate events | NRS | 1 | 133 | 112 | 123 | 9 | 50.40 |
PRS | 0.3 | 35.2 | 29.6 | 32.5 | 2.4 | ||
Causes of drought and flood happening frequently in present time | NRS | 2 | 170 | 174 | 31 | 1 | 40.67 |
PRS | 0.5 | 45.0 | 46.0 | 8.2 | 0.3 | ||
Reasons behind climate change | NRS | 6 | 197 | 141 | 33 | 1 | 38.49 |
PRS | 1.6 | 52.1 | 37.3 | 8.7 | 0.3 |
Variables’ Name | Cross Tabulation | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Positive for Adaptation, n (%) | Negative for Adaptation, n (%) | Total, n (%) | p-Value | ||
Socioeconomic Status | |||||
Gender | Female | 262 (69.3) | 87 (23.0) | 349 (92.3) | 0.028 |
Male | 27 (7.1) | 2 (0.5) | 29 (7.7) | ||
Age | 44.03 (12.757) | 47.27 (13.667) | 44.79 (13.031) | 0.000 | |
Education | Illiterate | 213 (56.3) | 58 (15.3) | 271 (71.7) | 0.001 |
Low literacy | 29 (7.7) | 4 (1.1) | 33 (8.7) | ||
Primary | 22 (5.8) | 21 (5.6) | 43 (11.4) | ||
Secondary | 21 (5.6) | 5 (1.3) | 26 (6.9) | ||
Higher secondary | 3 (0.8) | 0 (0.00) | 3 (0.8) | ||
Graduate | 1(0.3) | 1 (0.3) | 2 (0.5) | ||
Family member | 5.92 (2.338) | 6.53 (2.629) | 6.06 (2.420) | 0.000 | |
Income (yearly) | Less than 50,000 | 49 (13.0) | 3 (0.8) | 52 (13.8) | 0.000 |
Between 50,000–150,000 | 121 (32.0) | 23 (6.1) | 144 (38.1) | ||
More than 150,000 | 119 (31.5) | 63 (16.7) | 182 (48.1) | ||
Land ownership | Yes | 115 (30.4) | 25 (6.6) | 140 (37.0) | 0.046 |
No | 174 (46.0) | 64 (16.9) | 238 (63.0) | ||
Farm Earning Sources | |||||
Off-farm earning | Yes | 182 (48.1) | 20 (5.3) | 202 (53.4) | 0.000 |
No | 107 (28.3) | 69 (18.3) | 176 (46.6) | ||
Livestock ownership | Yes | 115 (30.4) | 25 (6.6) | 140 (37.0) | 0.046 |
No | 174 (46.0) | 64 (16.9) | 238 (63.0) | ||
Cultivation of | |||||
Flood tolerant rice | Yes | 20 (5.3) | 1 (0.3) | 21 (5.6) | 0.037 |
No | 269 (71.2) | 88 (23.3) | 357 (94.4) | ||
Short duration boro rice | Yes | 19 (5.0) | 1 (0.3) | 20 (5.3) | 0.045 |
No | 270 (71.4) | 88 (23.3) | 358 (94.7) | ||
Non-rice rabi crops | Yes | 6 (1.6) | 6 (1.6) | 12 (3.2) | 0.028 |
No | 283 (74.9) | 83 (22.0) | 366 (96.8) | ||
Institutional Accessibility | |||||
Credit from NGOs | Yes | 284 (75.1) | 70 (18.5) | 354(93.7) | 0.000 |
No | 5 (1.3) | 19 (5.0) | 24 (6.3) | ||
Subsidies for seed after flood | Yes | 23 (6.1) | 2 (0.5) | 25 (6.6) | 0.058 |
No | 266 (70.4) | 87 (23.0) | 353 (93.4) | ||
Market Accessibility | |||||
Distance to local market (km) | Mean (+SD) | 4.84 (2.087) | 5.48 (1.423) | 4.99 (1.967) | 0.000 |
Rural market structure | Yes | 237 (62.7) | 47 (12.4) | 284 (75.1) | 0.000 |
No | 52 (13.8) | 42 (11.1) | 94 (24.9) | ||
Total | 289 (76.5) | 89 (23.5) | 378 (100) |
Variables’ Names | Variables’ Categories | Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) | 95% CI | p-Value |
---|---|---|---|---|
Socioeconomic Status | ||||
Gender | Female | 5.498 | 0.925–32.664 | 0.051 |
Male | Ref | |||
Age | 1.120 | 1.072–1.170 | 0.000 | |
Education | Illiterate | 1.744 | 0.087–5.041 | 0.071 |
Know how to write | 0.535 | 0.023–2.585 | 0.069 | |
Primary | 2.065 | 0.100–4.702 | 0.032 | |
Secondary | 0.203 | 0.008–2.864 | 0.009 | |
H. secondary | - | |||
Graduate | Ref | |||
Family size | 1.033 | 0.907–1.177 | 0.001 | |
Income | Less than 50,000 | 0.122 | 0.033–0.445 | 0.001 |
Between 50,000–150,000 | 0.389 | 0.198–0.764 | 0.006 | |
More than 150,000 | Ref | |||
Land owner | Yes | 0.868 | 0.830–0.907 | 0.000 |
No | Ref | |||
Farming experience | 2.542 | 1.304–4.955 | 0.006 | |
Farm Earning Sources | ||||
Off-farm earning | Yes | 0.195 | 0.110–0.343 | 0.000 |
No | Ref | |||
Livestock ownership | Yes | 0.806 | 0.460–1.414 | 0.053 |
No | Ref | |||
Cultivation of flood-tolerant rice varieties | Yes | 0.117 | 0.002–2.698 | 0.079 |
No | Ref | |||
Cultivation of short duration boro rice | Yes | 1.997 | 0.042–4.448 | 0.025 |
No | Ref | |||
Non-rice rabi crops | Yes | 2.408 | 0.674–5.604 | 0.076 |
No | Ref | |||
Institutional Accessibility | ||||
Credit from NGOs/GoB | Yes | 18.489 | 6.247–54.725 | 0.000 |
No | Ref | - | - | |
Subsidies for seed after flood | Yes | 0.294 | 0.065–1.335 | 0.013 |
No | Ref | - | - | |
Market Accessibility | ||||
Distance to local market (km) | 1.213 | 1.067–1.379 | 0.003 | |
Rural market structure to sell goods | Yes | 5.175 | 2.930–9.140 | 0.000 |
No | Ref |
Common Adaptation Practices | Percentage of Farmers |
---|---|
Fishing | More than 40% |
Home State Gardening | More than 35% |
Migration | 18% |
Duck Rearing | Less than 5% |
Name of Adaptation Practices | Lack of Money (LM) | Lack of Information (LI) | Shortage of Labor (SL) | Lack of Land (LL) | a WAI | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Reduce number of livestock | 192 | 2 | 0 | 184 | 1.466 | 1 |
Change from crop to livestock | 221 | 1 | 0 | 46 | 1.228 | 2 |
Change crop variety | 2 | 373 | 1 | 2 | 1.008 | 3 |
Implement soil conservation scheme | 7 | 369 | 1 | 1 | 0.989 | 4 |
Short time migration to urban area | 327 | 1 | 49 | 1 | 0.269 | 5 |
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Ferdushi, K.F.; Ismail, M.T.; Kamil, A.A. Perceptions, Knowledge and Adaptation about Climate Change: A Study on Farmers of Haor Areas after a Flash Flood in Bangladesh. Climate 2019, 7, 85. https://doi.org/10.3390/cli7070085
Ferdushi KF, Ismail MT, Kamil AA. Perceptions, Knowledge and Adaptation about Climate Change: A Study on Farmers of Haor Areas after a Flash Flood in Bangladesh. Climate. 2019; 7(7):85. https://doi.org/10.3390/cli7070085
Chicago/Turabian StyleFerdushi, Kanis Fatama, Mohd. Tahir Ismail, and Anton Abdulbasah Kamil. 2019. "Perceptions, Knowledge and Adaptation about Climate Change: A Study on Farmers of Haor Areas after a Flash Flood in Bangladesh" Climate 7, no. 7: 85. https://doi.org/10.3390/cli7070085
APA StyleFerdushi, K. F., Ismail, M. T., & Kamil, A. A. (2019). Perceptions, Knowledge and Adaptation about Climate Change: A Study on Farmers of Haor Areas after a Flash Flood in Bangladesh. Climate, 7(7), 85. https://doi.org/10.3390/cli7070085