Climate Change Adaptation Strategies by Paddy Growing Farmers : A Case Study in Tungabhadra Command Area of Karnataka, India

摘要

The present study is an effort to analyse paddy-growers’ adaptation methods in the Tungabhadra command area of Karnataka state, India, over time in response to the climate change. Various adaptation techniques have been identified in the study including changes in farming practices such as adjusting planting dates and strategic approach in fertilizer management. According to the respondents, using these adaptation measures helps to reduce vulnerability and improve their ‘socio-economic status’and‘quality of life’. Farmers on the other hand adapt to the changing climate to ensure long-term productivity. The area under paddy crop experienced a substantial negative growth rate owing to Tungabhadra Command area’s erratic irrigation water flow inthe taluk. In the three water regimes, various coping techniques were used by sample farmers in the research area to overcome irrigation shortages caused by climate change are reported separately. Change of sowing dates based on releasing canal water andincreased use of application ofwater management methods, followed by the use of groundwater for irrigation, were significant factors that were used as coping strategies. Migration was another technique used by the respondents to sustain their incomes, but it was not as important as it had been previously.