Farmers’ Awareness and Perceptions on Adaptation to Climate Change: A Case Study of Syangja District, Nepal

This study analysed the smallholder farmerperceived importance of adaptation practices to climate change and examined the barriers that impede adaptation. Perceptions about causes and effects of changes in climatic variables were also investigated. A total of 100 farmer households were randomly selected from Arukharka and Bhatkhola village development committee in the Syangja district of Nepal. Data was collected using semi-structured questionnaires and focus group discussions. Indexing method was used to analyse the perception of farmers in the study area. The results showed that 92% of the respondents perceived changes in temperature and rainfall pattern, whereas 8% of the respondents did not perceive the changes. The study revealed that urgent adaptation measures should be adopted in response to landslides and droughts followed by drying of spring, diseases outbreak and floods. About 73% of the respondents have adjusted their farming activities in response to climate change. The major adaptation strategies followed by farmers included techniques as mulching, use of high-yielding hybrid varieties, tunnelling and adopting different techniques as integrated pest management and integrated nutrient management. The ranking index analysis showed that limited access to weather information, crop failure, high cost of farm inputs, unpredictable weather and lack of water resources were the most critical barriers to adaptation. This analysis of adaptation practices and constraints at farmer level will help facilitate government policy formulation and implementation.