Climate change perception and adaptation among farmers in the mountains of Western Karakoram, Pakistan

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ABSTRACT This paper examines climate change perception and adaptation among high-mountain farmers in Western Karakorum Pakistan. Employing a mixed-method approach, this study found that farmers in the study area have observed significant variations in the climatic conditions. Results further indicate that to cope with the climatic variations, farmers are employing diverse adaptation strategies, i.e. crop diversification, production of horticultural products, and change of planting dates. Moreover, the results show that gender, education, and occupation have significant associations with the perception of climate change. Likewise, the multivariate results show that gender and education significantly influence the capacity for climate change adaptation. Men household heads are 2.71 times more likely to implement adaptation strategies than women household heads, and respondents with formal education are 2.93 times more likely to adopt such strategies than those who are illiterate. The study highlights the need for context-specific strategies to enhance the resilience of high-mountain farmers in the face of climate change.