Factors influencing adaptation of farming practices by the coastal farmers in response to climate ch

Int. J. Agron. Agri. R.

International Journal of Agronomy and Agricultural Research (IJAAR) ISSN: 2223-7054 (Print) 2225-3610 (Online) http://www.innspub.net Vol. 11, No. 5, p. 16-23, 2017 OPEN ACCESS

RESEARCH PAPER

Factors influencing adaptation of farming practices by the coastal farmers in response to climate change Md. Maruf Billah*1, Shohrab Hossain2, Kawsar Hossen3, Atiqur Rahman Bhuiyan4 Department of Agriculture, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Bangladesh Article published on November 30, 2017 Key words: Adaptation, Factors, Farming practice, Climate change, Coastal farmers.

Abstract Coastal farmers are the most vulnerable in the context of climate change variability and their farming activates are being disrupted mostly due to climate change. Proper adaptation practices are supreme to ensure food security, resilience and productivity. The study was conducted to find out the factors influencing adaptation of farming practices by the coastal farmers in response to climate change. The data were collected from 120 randomly selected coastal farmers from the period of July 2017. A mixed method research approach and step wise multiple regression analysis was used to determine the factors influencing adaptation of farming practices. The findings of the study revealed that among the explanatory variables, four variables such as level of education, perception on climate change, communication exposure and agricultural training received had contributed 85% of the total variation in the extent of adaptation of farming practices, solely level of education contributed most (74.4%) cases in adaptation of farming practices followed by perception (4.6%), communication exposure (3.3%) and agricultural training (2.9%).

Correlation analysis indicated that among the selected socio- economic characteristics, respondent’s education, annual family income, communication exposure, agricultural training and perception showed positive and significant relationship with the adaptation of farming practices. On the other hand, age showed negative significant relationship while household assets and credit received showed no significant relationship. * Corresponding

Billah et al.

Author: Md. Maruf Billah  marufat06@gmail.com

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Int. J. Agron. Agri. R. Introduction

If these factors can be identified properly and

Bangladesh is an agro-based country and agriculture

implemented accurately, then adaptation rate can be

is the backbone of national economy. More than 47%

increased gradually and it will help the coastal

of total population is directly or indirectly involved

farmers to produce more crops. So adaptation of

with agriculture and agriculture contributes 16.5 % to its GDP while more than 52% of foreign exchange is earned from agriculture based commodities (BBS, 2016). We cannot imagine a single moment without the contribution of agriculture but it is being destroyed by various natural and man-made events.

Climate change is one of those factors which are directly responsible for hampering this sector.

Climate change is a statistically significant change in

farming practices is very much essential for this area for all the sectors of agriculture. Thus, in this situation it is necessary to know the factors influencing adaptation of farming practices in response to climate change and that is why this study was drawn over this area.

Materials and methods

measurement of either the mean state or variability of

Locale of research and data collection

the climate for a place or region over an extended

The study was conducted in two unions namely Char

period of time due to natural variability or as a result

Jabbar and Char Jubille of Subarnachar upazila under

of human interventions (Prevention consortium,

Noakhali district (Fig. 1).

2007). Bangladesh is a disaster-prone country and country

Most of the farmers in this area are coastal, whose

experiences disasters of one kind or another (such as

livelihood depends on various farming activities. Their

tropical cyclones, storm surges, coastal erosion,

farming activities are being changed and affected due

salinity intrusion, floods, and droughts) almost every

to climate change. The area is mainly affected by

year causing heavy loss of life and resources and

salinity, sea level-rise, flood, cyclone etc. About 68% of

due

to

these

unwanted

events,

the

endangering the development activities (NAPA, 2005).

the total farmers are coastal farmers in Subarnachar upazila and around 300 coastal farmers live in each

The country is already affected with many problems

village (BBS 2012). The actual population size was 600,

like high population density, shortage of land to

out of which 20 percent population were selected from

accommodate the people, food security, human health

two villages as sample. The sample size was 120 and

and so forth. The above mentioned types of disasters

data were collected during July 2017 using structured

make the problems all the more complicated. In the

questionnaire.

conceivable future, Bangladesh is likely to be one of the most vulnerable countries of the world in the

Data collection

event of climate change. Several adaptive practices are

The sample size was 120. In order to get qualitative

regularly considered by the coastal farmers in the local

data four Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were

agriculture but the relative success to overcome climatic

arranged in the study area. Each group consisted of 10

condition and temporal variations of climatic elements

participants. With a view to getting in depth

gradually making coastal people vulnerable.

information another four Key Informant Interviews

In this situation, the adaptive capacities of the coastal

(KIIs) were conducted in the study area. The

farmers need to be gradually increased to understand

qualitative data helped the researcher to design

the

its

interview schedule for the study. A personal interview

consequences over the agriculture and agriculturally

was conducted with the 120 respondents through the

based livelihoods (CEGIS, 2005). There are several

interview schedule during July 2017. The factors

factors that influence largely the adaptation of

influencing adaptation of farming practices was the

farming practices in response to climate change.

dependent variable of the study.

probabilistic

Billah et al.

climate

vulnerabilities

and

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Int. J. Agron. Agri. R.

Fig. 1. Map of the study area; Subarnachar upazila under Noakhali district.

The eight selected characteristics of the coastal farmers

aged while majority (41.2%) of the respondents had

namely age, level of education, household assets,

primary education. The majority (62%) of the

annual

communication

coastal farmers had low household assets and

exposure, training received and perception were the

highest portion (48.4%) of the respondents had

independent variables of this study. The factors were

medium annual income while most (43.3%) of the

identified through step wise multiple regression

respondents received low amount of credit.

income,

credit

received,

analysis of the variables.

Data analysis The collected data were coded, categorized, tabulated and analyzed scientifically. The local units were converted into standard units. The qualitative data were transferred into quantitative data by appropriate scoring techniques. The SPSS computer programme was used

The study also revealed that majority (58.3 %) of the

farmers’

maintained

moderate

type

of

communication exposure for adaptation of farming practices. In terms of training received, the findings indicated that majority (45%) of the respondents received short duration training while

for analysing the data. Various descriptive statistical

majority (54.3%) of the respondents had medium

measures such as range, frequency, number, percentage,

perception on climate change and adaptation

mean, standard deviation (SD) and coefficient of

(Table 1). Billah et. al., (2015) observed similar

variation (CV) were used for categorization and

types of socio-demographic features in their

describing the variables. Pearson's product moment

research work.

correlation coefficient (r) was utilized both for data evaluation and hypotheses testing. Step wise multiple

Relationship between dependent and independent

regression analysis was done to find out the factors

variables

affecting adaptation of farming practices.

Correlation analysis shows that age of the coastal

Results and discussion Socio-demographic characteristics of the coastal

farmers were negatively significant while household assets and credit received had no significant

farmers

relationship with the farmers’ adaptation practices.

The findings of the study indicated that the highest

On the other hand, level of education, annual family

portion of the respondents (42.5%) were young

income,

Billah et al.

communication

exposure,

agricultural

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Int. J. Agron. Agri. R. training received and perception on climate change

The results of the multiple regression analysis show that

were

among the explanatory variables, four variables such as

positively

correlated

with

the

farmers’

adaptation practices (Table 2).

Factors influencing adaptation of farming practices in response to climate change A step-wise multiple regression analysis had been applied to identify significant explanatory variables that

level of education, perception on climate change, communication exposure and agricultural training have significant influences on the adaptation of farming practices by the coastal farmers in response to climate change.

have effects on adaptation of farming practices.

Table 1. Salient features of the selected characteristics of farmers.

Socio-economic variables Age (years) Young (18-35) Middle (36-55) Old (above 55) Level of education Illiterate (0) Primary (1-5) Secondary (6-10) Above secondary (Above 10) Household assets (thousand) Low (up to 200) Medium (201-500) High (above 500) Annual family income (thousand) Low (up to 60) Medium (61-100) High (above 100) Credit received (thousand) No credit (0) Low credit (up to 35) Medium credit (36-70) High credit (above 70) Communication exposure (scale score) Poor exposure (upto14) Medium exposure (15-28) High exposure (29 and above)

Agricultural trainingreceived (scale score) No training (0 days) Short training (1 -7 days) Medium training (8-14 days) Long training (above 14 days) Perception on climate change (scale score) Low (up to 10) Medium (11-20) High (above 20)

Billah et al.

(%) 42.5 38.0 19.5 19.2 41.2 35.0 4.6 62.0 30.7 7.3 43.3 48.4 8.3 26.7 43.3 21.7 8.3

Farmers (n= 120) Mean Standard deviation 42.92 11.95

5.6

3.97

99.23

57.24

75.55

45.82

27.92

30.12

26.0 58.3 15.7

20.24

7.96

35.0 45.0 16.7 3.3

3.70

4.18

15.4 54.3 30.3

17.52

5.76

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Int. J. Agron. Agri. R. These four variables which finally entered in the model

that if formal education increases, the adaptation of

and contribution of these variables accounted for 85

farming practices is increased. Formal education is

percent of the total variation in the extent of adaptation

considered an important factor in increasing the

of farming practices (Table 3).

adaptation of farming practices by the coastal farmers in response to climate change. Droogers (2004) found

Level of education: The first variable to enter the step

that high level of literacy indicate high level of

wise multiple regression was level of education of the

adaptation, the educated farmers are able to read

farmers which solely had the highest contribution of

printed materials, communicate with the agricultural

74.4% in predicting the adaptation of farming

extension officer compare to illiterate farmers. Thus

practices in response to climate change. Level of

education can influence one’s extent of adaptation of

education of the farmers had a significant positive

farming practices in response to climate change.

impact on adaptation of farming practices, indicating Table 2. Correlation analysis of dependent and independent variables.

Variables

Correlation co-efficient (r) Age

-0.417**

Education

0.878**

Household assets

0.068

Income

0.681**

Credit

0.115

Training

0.835**

Communication exposure

0.824**

Perception

0.879**

** = Significant at 1 percent (0.01) level (2-tailed).

Table 3. Factors influencing adaptation of farming practices.

Model

Combination of independent variables

Co-efficient of

Adjusted

% of increase in

determination

R2

Adjusted

F-value

t-value

Sig. level

R2 1

Constant + Education in adapting farming practices

.747

.744

74.4

323.32**

3.13

0.01

2

Constant + Education + Perception

.794

.790

4.6

243.31**

3.14

0.00

3

Constant + Education + Perception +Communication

.828

.823

3.3

179.66**

2.75

0.02

4

Constant + Education + Perception + Communication +

.858

.852

2.9

145.43**

2.63

0.00

Training

**Significant at 0.01 level of probability.

Perception on climate change: The second explanatory

ADB (2009) found that farmers having proper perception

variable was perception of climate change as observed by

on climate change can select appropriate adaptation

the farmers, which contributed 4.6% in predicting the

practices properly against climate change which influence

adaptation of farming practices.

the adaptation of farming practices.

Perception on climate change had a significant positive

Communication exposure

influence on adaptation of farming practices, indicating

The third explanatory variable was exposure of

that if the perception on climate change is perceived

communication, which contributed 3.3% in predicting

properly by the farmers their adaptation capacity would

the adaptation of farming practices in response to

also be increased accurately.

climate change.

Billah et al.

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Int. J. Agron. Agri. R. Exposure of communication had a significant positive

increased. Islam (2004) found that the farmers with

impact on adaptation of farming practices, indicating

enough exposure of communication had followed

that if exposure of communication increases the

more adaptation practices than others in the

adaptation of farming practices would also be

community.

Table 4. Distribution of the farmers according to the extent of adaptation.

Categories

No.

Percent

Mean

SD

Low adaptation (up to15)

40

33.4

21.65

7.98

Medium adaptation (16-30)

62

51.6

High adaptation (above 30)

18

15.0

Total

120

100.0

Training received: The fourth explanatory variable was

farming practices would also be increased. Action Aid

training, which contributed 2.9 % in predicting the

(2008)

adaptation of farming practices in response to climate

training is very essential for increasing adaptation

change. Agricultural training had a significant positive

rate of farming practices in response to climate

impact on adaptation of farming practices, indicating

change.

observed

that,

appropriate

agricultural

that if exposure to training increases the adaptation of

Fig. 2. Existing adaptation practices followed by the coastal farmers.

The results of the study also showed that these four

practices; but did not incorporate in the study due to

variables collectively can explain 85 percent variance

lack of time.

(Adjusted

R2

= 0.85) on the adaptation of farming

practices due to climate change which is statistically

Nevertheless,

highly significant (F = 222.87, p < 0.01). There were

suggests the need for implementing comprehensive

several other factors like awareness, migration ,

actions for the coastal farmers that may increase their

membership in cooperatives, cosmopoliteness that

adaptation of farming practices as well as improve

could contribute to the adaptation of farming

their livelihoods.

Billah et al.

the

multiple

regression

analysis

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Int. J. Agron. Agri. R. Extent of adaptation of farming practices in

The results showed that among the eight selected

response to climate change

variables; level of education, perception on climate

Results revealed that, the adaptation average of

change, communication exposure and agricultural

farming practices by the coastal farmers in response

training described 85% of total variance in

to climate change was 21.65 and standard deviation

adaptation of farming practices by the coastal

was 7.98.

farmers in response to climate change and the average adaptation score was 21.65 which were not

The majority of the respondents (51.6%) had

so satisfactory.

perceived medium adaptation while 33.4% of the respondents perceived low adaptation and only 15%

The study also revealed that the coastal farmers are

of the respondents had faced high adaptation of

using various types of high yielding and stress

farming practices in response to climate change (table

tolerant crop varieties in the farming practices

4).

while moving to non-farming activities to conduct their livelihood properly.

This means that, about 85% of the respondents had faced low to medium adaptation of farming practices.

Recommendations

Billah et al. (2015) observed that about 75% of the

Thus it may be recommended that middle to old aged

smallholder farmers had faced low to medium

farmers with proper education, agricultural training,

adaptation while 25% of the respondents perceived

good communication exposure and better perception on

high adaptation in their farming activities.

climate change can increase the rate of adaptation of farming practices in response to climate change and

Existing adaptation practices followed by the coastal

ensure

farmers

production.

better

adaptation

and

sustainable

crop

The result showed that amongst the fifteen existing adaptation practices the cultivation of stress tolerant

Adjacent to above mentioned initiatives, adequate

varieties (82%), moved to non-farm activities (78%),

technical support and proper extension services

homestead gardening (75%), short duration crops

should be ensured to the coastal farmers by GOs

(67%), find off farm job (62%) and crop rotation

and NGOS for better adaptation of farming

(61%) etc. are being practised by the coastal farmers

activities in response to climate change.

largely (Figure2). According to Smith et. el., (2002) various adaptation practices like resilient crop

So

varieties,

activities,

technologies, income generating opportunities like

agroforestry, integrated farming etc. has been widely

establishment of agro-processed industry and

used to express agricultural practices that will (1)

small cottage industry should be established in the

increase agricultural productivity and food security,

coastal area for increasing the coastal farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

(2) adapt agriculture to climate change, and (3)

income. As a result, farmers can save more money,

modify agriculture to mitigate climate change hazard.

enlarge farm size and use better adaptation

HYV

crops,

non-farm

beside

various

modern

agricultural

practices in response to climate change.

Conclusion The study explored that age of the farmers is negatively

Acknowledgement

significant with the adaptation of farming practices while

I would like to give special thanks to my parents and

education, annual family income, agriculture training

better half Sirajum Monira, Shohrab Hossain, Kawsar

received, communication exposure and perception on

Hossen, Dr. Atiqur Rahman Bhuiyan, Dept. of

climate change had positive and significant relationship

Agriculture, for their continuous support throughout

and household assets, credit received had no significant

this research work and anonymous referees for their

relationship with the adaptation of farming practices in

valuable

response to climate change.

recommendations.

Billah et al.

and

constructive

suggestions

and

Page 22

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