Evaluating the Effects of Climate Change on Tea and Sustainable Livelihood: A Study of Sri Lankan Tea Plantation Labours

Abstract

The tea industry of Sri Lanka serves as the backbone of its economy. It gives the highest share of GDP from agricultural production and employment opportunities to a large section of the Sri Lankan population. Tea is confined to cultivated in an optimal climate where temperature and rainfall must be equal. Climate change is an inevitable phenomenon triggering a consequential threat to tea growth and its quality. Similarly, it possesses severe implications for farmers' livelihoods. Because tea plantation plays an active role in rural poverty alleviation and ensuring the food security of estate workers. It has become mandatory for tea farmers and workers to adapt appropriately to climate change in order to ensure sustenance, livelihood, and food security. This study investigates the livelihood challenges led by climate change faced by the working communities in the tea estates of Sri Lanka. This study found that climate change has a multidimensional impact on livelihood and has a nexus with migration.