Determinants of Farmers’ Adaptation Strategies to Climate Change in the Hyper-Arid Partially Irrigated Western Plain of Rajasthan, India

Abstract

Climate change is a global environmental threat to all economic sectors, mainly the agricultural sector is highly vulnerable to the negative impact of climate change. Using cross-sectional data of 120 farmers collected from three blocks of the Jaisalmer district of the hyper-arid partially irrigated western plain of Rajasthan, this study investigates farmers' adaptation measures to climate change and their determinants of adaptive strategies. The study used a logistic model to analyze the relationship between binary dependent variables and other explanatory variables. According to logistic regression results, factors such as land area, farming experience, and household income are positively related to climate change adaptation strategies. The marginal effects for the land area (0.040), farming experience (0.004), and household income (0.00). Further, the result of the study also shows the basic adaptation measures adopted by the farmers are mulching, changing in the crop, changing in sowing date, changing in cultivation practices, changing in water management and changing in input management. According to the study's findings, farmers' well-being will be improved by more significant investment in farmer education, farmers’ training through Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), and financial inclusion through Kisan Credit Card (KCC) for climate change adaptation.