ANTHROPOGENIC DIMENSIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR AGRICULTURAL ADAPTIVE STRATEGIES IN PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

摘要

The phenomenon of climate change is characterized by many underlying strata of nested, intractable and unforeseen predicaments. One cannot say that environmental change is purely a natural phenomenon, there are several human dimensions which are responsible for said concern. Current research was conducted by collaboration of Department of Rural Sociology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad during 2019. This study analyzed the implications of climate change for rural livelihoods with focus on adaptive capacities in Punjab. Triangulation approach was utilized which consisted of qualitative and quantitative methodology. A sample of 672 representative was examined, which was drawn from three districts of the Punjab i.e. Bahawalnagar, Chakwal and Faisalabad by using multistage sampling technique. The research findings exhibited that most of respondents had education of up to matric level, lived in system of joint family with family of 7 or above members and had farming experience of more than 10 years. About half of the respondents possessed up to 5 acres of agricultural land. 91.2% of respondents believed that climate change effected the agriculture. While, 36.6% respondents responded that the phenomenon of climate change was anthropogenic. A set of agricultural adaptive strategies were used by majority of the respondents such as use of high yield varieties, drought resistant varieties, improved irrigation facilities, change in the planting schedule and diversifying of household income, etc. The findings obtained from the data showed that there were serious implications of climatic threat to food security and increased prices of agricultural input (fertilizer, pesticide, mechanization). Multiple linear regression showed that marital status, income, size of landholding, water shortage, strong winds and constraints were significantly associated with the agricultural adaptive strategies. Moreover, the role of Government and concerned departments was not found efficient in raising the awareness regarding climate change. There is need of comprehensive and practical interventions in the form of improved extension services, climate smart agriculture network, mainstreaming of climate change into national strategy and policy, effective weather forecast and institutional monitoring of adaptive measures.