Climate Change Adaptation Practices Research Articles

Impact of GHG emission, temperature, and precipitation on rice production in Nepal

Climate variables mainly greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, temperature, precipitation, and rainfall are affecting crop production across the world. Nepal as a vulnerable country in terms of climate change, has raised the attention of researchers and policymakers in recent years. In this scenario, this study has attempted to find the impact of GHG emissions, temperature, and precipitation on rice production in Nepal. The study is based on time serried data from 1990 to 2019. The findings show that GHG emission has a significant positive impact on rice production. However, the annual average mean temperature has a significant negative impact on rice production. Besides having a negative coefficient, precipitation did not affect rice production significantly. The study recommends concrete climate change adaptation practices in the major rice production areas of Nepal, mainly in the Terai and Hilly belts.

Comparative Study of Climate Change Adaptation Practices in Conflict-Affected Mountain Areas of Africa

Comparative Study of Climate Change Adaptation Practices in Conflict-Affected Mountain Areas of Africa

Climate Change Adaptation Strategies and Its Impact on Household Vulnerability to Food Insecurity: A Micro-Level Evidence from Southwest Ethiopia

Smallholder farmers in Ethiopia face increasing challenges from climate change and variability, which threaten their food security and livelihoods. This study examines how adopting single and combined climate change adaptation practices affects their vulnerability to food insecurity in Bench Maji Zone, southwest Ethiopia. Through multistage sampling, data were gathered from 390 rural households in four climate-prone districts. The study examines the impacts resulting from both individual and combined implementations of adaptation techniques. These techniques encompass crop management practices, soil and water conservation measures, and livelihood portfolio diversification strategies. The study employed the multinomial endogenous treatment effect regression model to address selection bias and endogeneity resulting from various sources of heterogeneity, whether observed or unobserved. The results show that farmers who adopted adaptation practices were less vulnerable to food insecurity than those who did not. The study also finds that adopting multiple practices has a more significant impact than adopting single practices. Our findings suggest that implementing climate change adaptation strategies can increase the resilience of smallholder farmers in the study area and decrease their vulnerability to food insecurity. The study recommends supporting farmers in adopting these strategies through research and development, information dissemination, and collaborations among farmers, researchers, and extension services.

Ethnoecological Perspectives on Agroforestry Practices for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation

This research investigates the ethnoecological perspective of agroforestry practices for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Through a literature review method, we analyze relevant literature from various sources to uncover the relationship between local wisdom and agroforestry practices in addressing the challenges of climate change. Findings indicate that the ethnoecological perspective plays a crucial role in shaping sustainable and adaptive agroforestry practices by integrating local knowledge of local ecology and climate patterns with modern scientific knowledge. Agroforestry not only contributes to mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and carbon storage but also provides effective adaptation solutions through season-based planting arrangements and the cultivation of species resilient to extreme conditions. By recognizing the value of local wisdom and knowledge and actively involving community participation in agroforestry management, we can strengthen the resilience and sustainability of agroforestry systems in facing climate change.

Adapting to climate change: what really drives the choices of the producers of Geographical Indications?

In an era of rapid climate change, there is an increasing call for the efforts directed at detecting best practices of climate change adaptation in agriculture and understanding the factors behind producers’ willingness to implement adaptation strategies. Many studies consider solely traditional agriculture and specific sectors (e.g., wine), while little attention has been paid to certified and high-quality products, as a whole. To fill this knowledge gap, in 2022 a questionnaire-based online survey was administered to 137 producers of agri-food Geographical Indications in the Veneto Region (north-eastern Italy). Using a multinomial logit model, this study highlights the factors explaining adaptation strategies distinguishing three cases: (i) farmers who have implemented adaptation strategies; (ii) farmers intending to implement them in the future; (iii) farmers neither having implemented nor willing to do so. Results suggest that socio-demographic characteristics, particularly education, matter, with producers holding a high school degree in agriculture showing a greater willingness to adapt. Also, being full-time farmer couples with higher probability of having already implemented adaptation strategies. Lastly, also a direct observation of climate change in the production area affects farmers’ adaptation decisions.

Exploring Climate Change Adaptation Practices and Agricultural Livelihoods among Rice Farmers of the Brahmaputra Valley in Northeast India.

Global climate change has seriously threatened agriculture and connected sectors, especially in developing countries like India. The Brahmaputra Valley in Assam, Northeast India, is vulnerable to climate change due to its agrarian economy, fragile geo-ecological setting, recurrent floods and droughts, and poor socioeconomic conditions of the farmers. The climate-induced hindrances faced by the rice farming community of this region and the local adaptation practices they employ have not been adequately studied. Therefore, we carried out a survey among 635 rice farmers across four agro-climatic zones of Assam, namely the Upper Brahmaputra Valley Zone, North Bank Plain Zone, Central Brahmaputra Valley Zone, and Lower Brahmaputra Valley Zone, to understand how they perceive and respond to climatic changes. The survey revealed that all the respondents have perceived an increase in ambient temperature, and 65% of the respondents have perceived a slight change in rainfall characteristics over the years. Most farmers reported adjusting the existing farming practices and livelihood choices to adapt to the changing climate. Farming adjustments were made mainly in terms of field preparation and management of water, rice variety, nutrients, and pests. Environmental variables like rainfall, flood, drought, and pest level, and socioeconomic variables like family size, education, farming experience, training, digital media exposure, and land area were found to influence farmers' adaptation choices. The findings imply that policies to strengthen flood, drought, pest management, education, land-use planning, agricultural training, and digital media applications in agriculture are needed for effective climate change adaptation in this region.

Sustainable Construction Practices for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation: A Review

This comprehensive review explores the critical role of sustainable construction practices in addressing climate change challenges through both mitigation and adaptation strategies. Climate change, caused by human activities, necessitates urgent global action, given its wide-ranging impacts. Mitigation measures, encompassing transitions to renewable energy, energy efficiency, and waste management, are essential for averting severe consequences and require collaborative efforts and societal behavioral changes. Simultaneously, adaptation strategies, including resilient infrastructure and community planning, are crucial for addressing the unavoidable impacts of past emissions. The paper dedicates significant attention to sustainable construction practices, highlighting their contribution to both mitigation and adaptation. Key elements, such as energy-efficient design, renewable energy integration, and resilient construction techniques, not only reduce the environmental footprint of the construction industry but also foster socially responsible and resilient built environments. Sustainable construction practices emerge as fundamental in the global initiative to combat climate change, aligning with environmental stewardship for a sustainable and resilient future. Nevertheless, sustained research, innovation, and international collaboration are imperative to advance these practices and effectively tackle the intricate challenges posed by climate change in the built environment.

Gender Perceptions of Small Holder Farmers on the Impact of Climate Change in Communal Areas of Zimbabwe

Climate change has caused severe havoc to social, economic, environmental and physical repercussions to development. The world has encountered the unprecedented natural catastrophes which encompass climate induced calamities such as hurricanes, floods, volcanoes, droughts and cyclones. The study was aimed at unpacking the gender dimensions of small holder farmer on the impact of climate change, vulnerability, adaptation in communal areas. Quantitative primary data was collected from a sample of 244 selected smallholder communal famers, in which stratified random sampling was used to select the respondents to this study. A self-administered structured questionnaire was used to solicit quantitative data from smallholder communal farmers, Bikita rural district council (department of environment) and from Agriculture Extension department. A total of 188 questionnaires were responded to and used for data analysis. Using SPSS version 16.0 quantitative data were analysed using a mix of descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and regression analysis. The study established that the negative effects of climate change and variability are mitigated through growing of drought resistant small grains, growing early maturity seed varieties, adjusting crop planting times, application of lower levels of fertilizers, winter ploughing and ridging and pot-holing. Participation of smallholder farmers in climate change adaptation interventions in Bikita district is subject to socio-political, resources and physical systems and processes barriers. It also established a negative relationship between resource availability and female smallholder farmers’ participation in climate change adaptation practices and the study concluded that availability of resources is a key factor to female small holder farmers’ participation in climate change intervention. There is also need to avail agricultural research results relevant to the small holder farmers and train them on how to use the results to make informed on-farm investment decisions.

Gender Role and Effects on Climate Change Adaptation Practices Among Vegetable Farmers in Delta Central Zone

Gender Role and Effects on Climate Change Adaptation Practices Among Vegetable Farmers in Delta Central Zone

Gender and Adaptation Practices against Climate Change Impact on Agricultural Activities in Western Nepal

There is a close association between gender and climate change adaptation practices. Climate change affects everyone but man and woman have different vulnerabilities and unequal capacity to deal with the adverse impact of climate change. The main objective of this paper is to assess the association between gender and adaptation practices against climate change impact on agriculture activities in western Nepal. A survey of 1046 households using semi-structured questionnaire using multistage sampling was used to collect quantitative data from five districts of western Nepal. Focus group discussion (FGDs) was also conducted to collect the qualitative data. Chi-squared test was used to find the association between gender and adaptation practices against climate change impact on agriculture activities in western Nepal. The analyses reveal that more men involve in agricultural activities. Among the several adaptation activities, gender matters for the use of improved irrigation facility, use of chemical fertilizer and use of cropping season.

Agroforestry practices for climate change adaptation and livelihood resilience in drylands of Ethiopia

Agroforestry practices have gained attention as a means to enhance the resilience of smallholder farmers to climate threats. However, their role in building resilient livelihoods and adapting to climate change is not well studied in Ethiopia. Through our study, we evaluated the significance of indigenous agroforestry practices for climate change adaptation and livelihood resilience in different agroecologies of Northern Ethiopia. We interviewed 197 households to gather insightful data, and statistical analyses, including Chi-square, Pearson’s correlation, ANOVA, and multinomial regression, were employed to analyze the data. Our findings reveal that farmers are proactively responding to the impacts of a changing climate by making strategic shifts in crop varieties, livestock types, and tree species, which they believe strengthen their adaptive capacity. Indigenous agroforestry emerged as the third most preferred climate change adaptation option among farmers, following livestock and off-farm activities. Additionally, on-farm trees were identified as the third most significant livelihood asset for farming households, underscoring the pivotal role of indigenous agroforestry in bolstering livelihood resilience. Indigenous agroforestry practices offer a multitude of benefits, including wood, livestock fodder, and crucial ecosystem services, particularly during periods of climate shocks. This not only enhances farmers’ adaptive capacity but also alleviates pressure on neighboring natural forests. Notably, on-farm trees exhibited a substantial positive impact on crop productivity, household income, and overall climate change adaptation capabilities. Despite variations observed across different agroecologies, on-farm trees accounted for an impressive 34.35% of the household’s total income, further highlighting their significance in fostering long-term livelihood resilience. In conclusion, our study emphasizes the urgent need to scale up indigenous agroforestry practices as a means to enhance short-term adaptive capacity and foster long-term resilience.

Exploring the sustainable reporting practices of universities in relation to the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for sustainable development

Universities are aware of the imperative of sustainability and are focusing on promoting the aims and principles of sustainable development, such as greening their curriculum, enhancing the environmental performance of their campus and using sustainable criteria in their investment and purchasing behavior. Also, the scope of sustainable development was broadened by the introduction of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) proposed by the United Nations’ (UN) 2030 Agenda which stipulates new directions for sustainability at a global level. Given this background, this paper examines the level of alignment of universities with the 17 SDGs through an analysis of sustainability reports prepared by universities, in order to highlight the issues which are mostly discussed by universities in relation to SDGs. To do so, an empirical analysis was carried out on a sample of 37 sustainability reports using a methodological framework based on scoring techniques to analyze their content. The findings show that the universities have disclosed more information about climate change mitigation and adaptation practices and less about SDGs regarding quality of education and peace, democracy and strong institutions.

Farmers’ choice for indigenous practices and implications for climate-smart agriculture in northern Ghana

Smallholder agriculture in Northwestern Ghana continues to suffer the increasing threats of climate change and variability. The extant literature has argued that climate-smart agriculture is the way forward for smallholder farmers to reduce the threats of climate change and variability in agriculture production. However, smallholder farmers continue to rely on indigenous knowledge and practices in their day-to-day agricultural activities. Few studies have explored the rationale and factors that explain smallholder farmers choice of local agriculture practices. This study explored the rationale and factors that explain smallholder farmers' choice of indigenous knowledge and agriculture practices. The mixed research method approach involving both quantitative and qualitative methods were employed for data collection and analysis. A survey, involving 305 household heads, 31 in-depth interviews and 18 focus group discussions were held with key participants for the data. The results showed that smallholder farmers' decisions to adopt indigenous practices for climate change adaptation were influenced by socio-demographic characteristics, access to farm capital, landscape and distance to farms, accessibility and reliability of practices, accessibility and cost of inputs, land tenure, access to extension services, and socio-cultural beliefs. These variables were statistically significant at 5 %. The paper concludes that these factors will continue to limit farmers' ability to adopt climate-smart and other improved agricultural practices. This will aggravate smallholder households’ vulnerability to food insecurity and poverty. It is, therefore, recommended that climate-smart agriculture practices should be framed within the context of the aforementioned factors influencing farmers choice of indigenous farming practices in mainstreaming them into climate-smart agriculture.

Climate change adaptation and the back of the invisible hand.

A good deal of contemporary work in cultural evolutionary theory focuses on the adaptive significance of culture. In this paper, we make the case that scientifically accurate and politically feasible responses to the climate crisis require a complex understanding of human cultural practices of niche construction that moves beyond the adaptive significance of culture. We develop this thesis in two related ways. First, we argue that cumulative cultural practices of niche construction can generate stable equilibria and runaway selection processes that result in long-term existential risks within and across cultural groups. We dub this the back of the invisible hand. Second, we argue that the ability of cultural groups to innovate technological solutions to environmental problems is highly constrained in ways that are exacerbated by sustained intergroup conflict, inequality and by inherently unpredictable cascades in climate change and human migration patterns. After developing these theoretical points about human cultural practices of niche construction in detail, we conclude our discussion with some tentative practical suggestions about the way that cultural evolutionary history can more fruitfully be used in efforts to remit the climate crisis and contribute to sustainable practices of human climate change adaptation. This article is part of the theme issue 'Climate change adaptation needs a science of culture'.

Hydroclimatic trend analysis and projection in Africa tropical urban regions: Cases of Lusaka, Zambia and Kigali, Rwanda

The global climate has significantly changed primarily due to human-induced activities. The incidences of droughts and extreme floods followed by destruction have been appearing across the globe along with extensive effects on economic and public health sectors, including the human lives losses whereby, Africa is among the greatly affected regions. Several studies aver that weather-related extremes are likely to increase due to the rising impacts. This article aims to emerge the effects of a warning climate on temperature and precipitation patterns in African tropical regions for pre-emptive adaptation practices. It was conducted using nonparametric Mann-Kendall's test and Sen's slope estimator coupled with the downscaled global climate models (NEX-GDDP-CMIP6 GCMs). The study shows that the annual precipitation in Lusaka keeps decreasing though the rainfall season showed an increasing possibility. The projection under ssp245 showed a slight rainfall decrement but increased by the mid-century under ssp585. Besides, the rainfall in Kigali, presents an excess increment resulting in increased extreme events. The projection showed up to 40% annual rainfall increment by the end-century under ssp585. However, both the regions present a slight trend increment in maximum and minimum temperature. Henceforth, the results of this study may prove useful in climate change mitigation and adaptation practices on rainfed agriculture, hydroelectricity, water supply systems, and resilient hydraulic infrastructure provision in the region.

Gender dimensions of climate change adaptation in Tigray, Ethiopia

The study of the impacts and drivers of climate change adaptation should consider gender (in)equality and women’s participation, as they both play pivotal roles. However, research on gender aspects of climate change adaptation has been limited. This study assesses gender dimensions of adaptation to climate change and determinants of smallholder farmers’ adaptation strategies in Adwa district, Tigray, Ethiopia. Drawing on household surveys, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions carried out in 2017, the study found that climate change had more severe impacts on female-headed households than on male-headed households. This was due to women’s lack of resource access and control, lack of income and technology use, and high dependence on natural resources. Major climate change adaptation measures identified in the study area included adjustment of planting dates, crop varieties, water harvesting practices, soil and water conservation, irrigation, seasonal migration, diversifying income sources, and agricultural inputs. Rates and extent of adaptation varied by gender. As indicated by multivariate probit analysis, major determinants of farmers’ adaptation choices included agro-ecology; gender, age, education, family size, farm size, non-farm income, livestock; access to information, extension services, and credit; and distance to market center. Study findings suggest that policymakers should consider differences between female- and male-headed families in their access to land, information, income, extension services, technologies, and other resources. By doing so, climate change adaptation practices may be broadened and sustainable development promoted.

Impact of climate change adaptation practices on crop productivity: evidence from North Shewa Zone, Amhara region, Ethiopia

Impact of climate change adaptation practices on crop productivity: evidence from North Shewa Zone, Amhara region, Ethiopia

Indigenous knowledge factors influencing farmers' uptake of climate change adaptation strategies in Kajiado County, Kenya

Abstract Due to the effects of climate change, farmers in Kajiado County have embraced different climate change adaptation strategies including the use of indigenous knowledge (IK) and scientific approaches. The objective of this study was to assess the determinants of farmers' IK practices influencing the uptake of Climate Change Adaptation Strategies (CCAS) in Kajiado County, Kenya. Using the Model of Private Proactive Adaptation to Climate Change (MPPACC), IK-related contextual factors that constituted the socio-demographic, economic, and geo-ecological variables were tested against the CCAS variable on Pearson Coefficient Correlation in determining associations. Multi-stage sampling was done and data were collected using questionnaires, key informant interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs), and observation checklists while data analysis involved the use of both descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings show CCAS were likely to be adapted to by those with higher levels of education and those with higher levels of monthly income while those unwilling were more likely males, older, with larger household sizes. and those who owned land. The findings also showed that effective approaches including IK climate change adaptation practices and the CCAS can be applied in a complimentary manner to achieve the desired results in regions that possess diverse climatic and geophysical conditions.

Sustainable Land Management and Climate Change Adaptation for Small-Scale Land Users in Sub-Saharan Africa

Land is both a source and a sink of carbon dioxide (CO2), the chief greenhouse gas. Through sustainable land management (SLM), it can capture extra CO2 and store it as carbon in vegetation and soil. SLM can also reduce CO2 emissions from the land. Thus, SLM is viewed as the key land-based solution for climate change mitigation. Yet, SLM also provides effective climate change (CC) adaptation practices—such as agroforestry, mulching and water harvesting—which confer resilience, and simultaneously help secure production. This is especially valuable for land users in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) who depend on rainfed agriculture. They are amongst the poorest on Earth and the most vulnerable to CC impacts, despite their minimal carbon footprint. The World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies (WOCAT) manages the Global SLM Database: this holds a rich and ever-growing collection of SLM practices. Analysis of the database for rainfed SSA sheds light on which SLM technologies are effective in CC adaptation, and how well they cope with changing rainfall and temperature. Both “mechanisms” and “attributes” are explored, yielding new insights. This perspective paper showcases current developments in the field, and summarizes future directions for SLM as a CC adaptation solution for land users in SSA.

Potential of implementing irrigation in rainfed agriculture in Quebec: A review of climate change‐induced challenges and adaptation strategies

AbstractLeading to growing‐season water stress, eastern Canada's evolving climate has disrupted the region's rainfed farming systems. Accordingly, this review was conducted to assess the status of irrigation, climate‐induced challenges and opportunities and the impact of adaptation strategies on economic returns and the environment in Quebec's agricultural regions. While irrigation is limited mainly to high‐value crops, controlled drainage with sub‐irrigation (CDSI) has been implemented at a limited number of field sites. Given the greater rainfall variability and rising number of growing‐season heatwave events anticipated, previous studies have mainly focused on developing climate change adaptation practices. The present study identified two research gaps: (i) a lack of analyses of drought frequency and its effect on root zone soil moisture, crop ET, crop phenology and agricultural production at a regional scale under historical and future climates and (ii) a lack of regional‐scale studies addressing climate change adaptation options, including supplementary irrigation, and their potential effects on economic return and water resources under a changing climate. Additional studies must address these gaps for the development of climate change adaptation practices to secure food demand and water sustainability.