Farmer’s Perception and Adaptation Strategies to Mitigate Impacts of Climate Change in District Chitral, Pakistan

Abstract

The study in the district of Chitral, farmers' perceptions of and adaptation measures to reduce its effects on climate change, the last week of July 2021. It was based to know farmer’s perception, adaptation and mitigate the effects of climate change. Questionnaires and Focus group discussion were the methods used for data collection. The steep topography of Chitral restricts the amount of land that can be cultivated, while freezing temperatures in roughly half of the country preclude the production of more than one crop per year. The single-cropping zone encompasses almost half of this area. The rest is in the zone of double-cropping. Perception of farmer’s to climate change, adaptation, major constraints to adaptation and their decision-making with regard to climate in Chitral, a total 6 villages were selected, 3 from each cropping zone were studied in which the most severely affected was double cropping zone in context of sowing and harvesting periods. Climate change has positive effects on crops cultivation in Chitral, the cultivation of Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.) is now possible in village Khot and Rabat where it was not possible 40 years ago and due to severe cold constantly crops failure occurred. The maize (Zea mays L.), Rice (Oryze sativa) and Barley (Hordeum vulgare, L) crops sowing days changes is also quite clear that in both the cropping zones where it become early from that of the past.

       Keywords: climate change, Chitral River, sowing, crop failure, crop diseases, temperature