Local Farmers’ Perceptions of Climate Change and Local Adaptive Strategies: A Case Study from the Middle Yarlung Zangbo River Valley, Tibet, China

Abstract

Climate change affects the productivity of agricultural ecosystems. Farmers cope with climate change based on their perceptions of changing climate patterns. Using a case study from the Middle Yarlung Zangbo River Valley, we present a new research framework that uses questionnaire and interview methods to compare local farmers' perceptions of climate change with the adaptive farming strategies they adopt. Most farmers in the valley believed that temperatures had increased in the last 30 years but did not note any changes in precipitation. Most farmers also reported sowing and harvesting hulless barley 10-15 days earlier than they were 20 years ago. In addition, farmers observed that plants were flowering and river ice was melting earlier in the season, but they did not perceive changes in plant germination, herbaceous vegetation growth, or other spring seasonal events. Most farmers noticed an extended fall season signified by delays in the freezing of rivers and an extended growing season for grassland vegetation. The study results showed that agricultural practices in the study area are still traditional; that is, local farmers' perceptions of climate change and their strategies to mitigate its impacts were based on indigenous knowledge and their own experiences. Adaptive strategies included adjusting planting and harvesting dates, changing crop species, and improving irrigation infrastructure. However, the farmers' decisions could not be fully attributed to their concerns about climate change. Local farming systems exhibit high adaptability to climate variability. Additionally, off-farm income has reduced the dependence of the farmers on agriculture, and an agricultural subsidy from the Chinese Central Government has mitigated the farmers' vulnerability. Nevertheless, it remains necessary for local farmers to build a system of adaptive climate change strategies that combines traditional experience and indigenous knowledge with scientific research and government polices as key factors.

Historical evidence of climatic variability and changes, and its effect on high-altitude regions: insights from Rara and Langtang, Nepal

“…These evidences clearly show that the high-altitude and other low-lying regions of Nepal have experienced climatic variability. Similar changes of climatic pattern on temperature, rainfall and snowfall have also been perceived by the people living in other neighboring high-altitude regions of South Asia, such as eastern Himalaya (Sharma et al 2009); Bhutan (RSPN 2012); Bangladesh (Huda 2013); Himachal state of India (Basannagari and Kala 2013;Kaul & Thornton 2014); Uttaranchal state of India (Kumar et al 2008); northeast Sikkim Himalaya (Mishra et al 2014); northern highland of Pakistan (Joshi et al 2013;Gioli et al 2014;Maryam et al 2014); also in northwest Yunnan region (Haynes & Yang 2013) and Tibet region (Li et al 2013) of China. Bickerstaff (2004) defined perception as subjective evaluation that evolves from experiences and personality disposition that affects one's individual behavior and attitude while Wakefield et al (2001) narrated that individual's everyday experience and exposure to media and other outside sources helps in forming and reinforcing perception.…”

Perception of Climate Risk among Rural Farmers in Vietnam: Consistency within Households and with the Empirical Record

“…Studies across multiple developing countries suggest variability among farmers’ perceptions of how climate is changing . In early work, Diggs found that farmers living in drought‐prone areas are more likely to describe climate as becoming drier and warmer than are farmers living in relatively wetter areas .…”

“…Studies across multiple developing countries suggest variability among farmers' perceptions of how climate is changing. (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6) In early work, Diggs found that farmers living in drought-prone areas are more likely to describe climate as becoming drier and warmer than are farmers living in relatively wetter areas. (7) Although this work did not compare perceptions to the historical record, it is perhaps not surprising that individuals in differing agroecological zones would experience, and therefore report, climate differently.…”

“…We further examine variables potentially associated with farmers' concern about temperature and precipitation impacts on productivity and thus livelihood by considering demographic factors as well as perceptions of anomalies relative to climatology. 1 Next, we present a dimensional reduction, partitioning the extent to which concern about climate impacts on livelihood can be distinguished from an overall orientation to worry across a range of potential sources of vulnerability. We also consider the role of perceptions about climate relative to a range of potential drivers motivating individuals to take risk management action.…”

Perceptions of climate trends among Mexican maize farmers

“…However, other studies (Apata, Samuel, & Adeola, 2009;Li et al, 2013;Vedwan & Rhoades, 2001;Wii, & Ziervogel, 2012) have shown that farmer's perceptions of climate variability and change are in sync with climate trends in their regions. Accurate perceptions of climate variability and change can help farmers to take effective measures to protect their livelihoods against threats from local environmental change; conversely, understanding how farmers perceive threats from climate change (or not) can help policymakers anticipate the diversity of strategies and behaviors that will ultimately shape the vulnerability of agriculture in the coming decades.…”