Using Indicators to Measure Paddy Farmers’ Adaptive Capacity to Climate Change Variability in the Granary Areas of Peninsular Malaysia

Author(s)

Danladi Yusuf Gumel , Ahmad Makmom Bin Abdullah , Abdullahi Adamu ,

Download Full PDF Pages: 87-106 | Views: 387 | Downloads: 107 | DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5141644

Volume 5 - April 2021 (04)

Abstract

Sensitivity of paddy rice to climatic perturbation makes paddy farmers to be vulnerable to climate change and variability, this resulted to the decline in paddy productivity and reduction in farmers’ income, thereby exacerbating the socio- economic wellbeing and poverty level of the farmers in Malaysia. Tackling vulnerability to climate change through effective policy action requires understanding of farmers’ adaptive capacity. This study analysed adaptive capacity of the paddy farmers and factors that causes differences in the farmers’ adaptive capacity in the study areas. Paddy farmers’ adaptive capacity levels were determined using a composite index score by linearly aggregating the farmers’ five capital indicators (human, physical, financial, social, and management capitals). The study showed that adaptive capacity index scores of the entire respondents’ ranges from -0.289 to 0.392 with Mean of -0.003 and standard deviation 0.174. About 200 (44.4%) of the respondent have low adaptive capacity, 144 (32.0%) have moderate adaptive capacity, while 106 (23.6%) have high adaptive capacity. Moreover, adaptive capacity as a component of vulnerability has immediate policy implications, in that its improvement reduces the sensitivity levels of the paddy farmers to climate change variability. As such, it is important to evolve national climate change adaptation policy that will guide policy makers to address region specific needs of the paddy farmers. The policy options should involve educating young workforce to embrace paddy farming. More extension services to enhance the skill of the old-aged farmers. Provide access to more financial capital for investment in education etc.

Keywords

Climate change, Variability, Paddy farmers, Adaptive capacity, Indicators

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