CLIMATE CHANGE, FARMERS’ ADAPTATION CAPACITY AND CROPS PRODUCTION: A DISAGGREGATED MICRO-LEVEL STUDY FROM SOUTHERN PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

Abstract

The present study aims at providing insights, based on disaggregated micro-level surveyed data, about the climate resilient crop production strategies available for small, medium and big landholder farmers by investigating a number of micro-level factors – ranging from socio-economic to demographic – that assess the farmers’ capability for the adaptation of climate change strategies. This research study gradually maintains three contemplation in the analysis: primarily; the study focuses on the nexus between climate change and crops production, Secondly; study estimates the impact of climate change adaptation strategies on crops production, Thirdly, the novelty of the study lies in putting forward the economic, social and demographic factors which envisages that how the farmers can enhance their capacity to become more effective in adapting the strategies. Our conclusive findings suggest that, for the farmers producing crops at small scale, the farmers’ health and medical treatment, education level, gender, marital status, land ownership, and access to market are the significant factors augment farmers’ adaption capacity to climate change, while for the farmers producing crops at a significantly lagers scale, their experience does matter. The study would be helpful in suggesting prudent policy on agriculture crops production that on which grounds the different farmers, who have some different level of crop production and farm size, can be provided opportunities to limit the devastating effects of climate change in Pakistan.