Farmers’ perceptions of and adaptations to climate change in southeast Asia

The case study from Thailand and Vietnam

authored by: Hermann Waibel, Thi Hoa Pahlisch, Marc Völker
Abstract: The perceptions of climate change and adaptation choices made by farmers are important considerations in the design of adaptation strategies by policy makers and agricultural extension services. This paper seeks to determine these perceptions and choices by farmers in already poor environmental regions of Thailand and Vietnam especially vulnerable to climate change. Overall findings were that farmers do perceive climate change, but describe it in quite distinct ways and that location influences how farmers recognize climate change. Our 2007 and 2013 surveys show that farmers are adapting, but it is difficult to determine if specific practices are “climate smart”. Further, adaptation measures are informed by perception and, at least in the case of Vietnam, perceptions are shaped by the respondent’s characteristics, location variables and recent climate related shocks. Finally, the three climate variables of rainfall, temperature, and wind are the most important factors in explaining specific adaptation measures chosen by farmers. Farmer participation is an essential part of public actions designed to allow adaptation to climate change. Our research can also contribute to understanding farmer constraints and tailoring good overall strategies to the local heterogeneity of vulnerable locations.
Organisation(s): Institute of Development and Agricultural Economics
External Organisation(s): Mahidol University
Type: Contribution to book/anthology
Pages: 137-160
No. of pages: 24
Publication date: 2018
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Economics and Econometrics, Geography, Planning and Development, Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law, Nature and Landscape Conservation, Global and Planetary Change, Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy, SDG 13 - Climate Action
Electronic version(s): https://www.repo.uni-hannover.de/bitstream/123456789/5226/1/Waibel2018_Chapter_FarmersPerceptionsOfAndAdaptat.pdf (Access: Open)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61194-5_7 (Access: Closed)