Farmers’ Perceptions toward Climate Change with Emphasis on Cropping Systems in the Haor Areas of Kishoreganj District, Bangladesh

Abstract

A survey was conducted in three Haor areas, viz. Austagram, Itna, and Mithamoin under the Kishoreganj district of Bangladesh to assess farmers’ perceptions of climate change and its impacts on cropping systems. In these regions, Boro rice is traditionally the dominant crop, accounting for 18% of the total rice production and 27% of the Boro rice cultivated nationwide. Despite the agricultural significance of these areas, a considerable portion of the kanda and medium high land remains fallow. The primary objective of this research was to explore farmers' understanding of climate change and their adaptive responses concerning cropping systems in the selected Haor regions. A total of 150 farmers were randomly selected and interviewed face-to-face using a structured questionnaire to ensure representative and reliable data collection. The results showed that the farmers’ understanding of climate change was much lower than expected; a maximum of 42.7% of farmers pointed out that climate change means frequent flooding, and about half portion (50%) of the farmers opined that temperature, early flooding, thunderstorms, and lightning have increased over time. They strongly agreed that Boro rice is affected more frequently by natural hazards than in previous times, and its cultivation is also affected by a lack of seed, irrigation, and high production costs. A notable proportion of the farmers (56.7%) have adopted adaptation strategies that are less climate-smart and nutrition-sensitive. Only 53.3% of farmers cultivated oilseeds, pulses, and vegetables other than Boro rice. A lack of technological knowledge is the main obstacle to practicing climate-resilient, modern cultivation practices. However, they are agreeable to cultivating nutrition-sensitive and high-value crops if they have technical support.