A review of low-carbon adaptation model to climate change in rural farming households

Abstract

Climate change is one of the greatest environmental issues of our time and involves complex interactions and changing likelihoods of diverse impacts. Individuals, communities and organizations have, through time, developed adaptive capacities to climate change impacts. This paper assesses by reviewing existing literature on the adaptation of the low carbon model to climate change by rural farming households in developing countries. It has identified the social, economic and environmental impacts of climate change from a vast review of the literature. The commonly used low carbon assessment models, from rural farming household’s point of view, have been identified as agricultural and economic models. It was found that farming practices were common and easy used adaptation models to low carbon situations. It was further indicated that complex economic models – partial equilibrium and general equilibrium - were used to assess the efficiency of adaptation options. Marker failures, policy failures and climate uncertainties were the main barriers to the low carbon adaption model. Although not easy, some remedies for adaptation barriers have been identified as policy reforms, government intervention, introducing various adaptation approaches such as early warning systems, disaster risk management, climate-smart agriculture and insurance systems.