Farmers’ adaptation to climate change in Southern Issyk-Kul

Abstract

Agriculture is a key sector for people’s livelihoods in Kyrgyzstan, which highlights the role of local people’s perceptions of agricultural practices and optimisation of land use management. The purpose of this study was to assess the understanding of land use practices by local residents in four districts of the Southern Issyk-Kul. The level of awareness of sectoral issues was investigated by randomly selected farmers. The study found that modern farmers are aware of the existing problems and their contribution to the decline in agricultural productivity and increased vulnerability to environmental change. It was generalised that the solution of the problem under study requires practical interaction between government agencies and farmers aimed at providing the necessary information and resources for adaptation to climate-oriented agricultural practices. The potential of innovative precision farming technologies in the context of the studied issues was analysed. An important problem of the lack of a mechanism for the exchange of agricultural knowledge between farmers was identified, as it is difficult for them to determine where and from whom to gain experience. It was substantiated that the integration of agricultural consulting elements into the environment of farm operation has the potential to significantly stimulate the positive dynamics of agricultural development. Such an approach would allow for the most accurate selection of optimisation measures, which would affect the economic efficiency and environmental performance of farming. The practical value of the results of the study is seen in the possibility of using them to mitigate the process of adaptation of agricultural production in developing countries to inevitable climate change