An Assessment of Perceptions and Autonomous Adaptation among the Farmers of North East Tamil Nadu, under the Purview of Climate Change

P. Dhanya; A. Ramachandran; K. Palanivelu

Authors

P. Dhanya Dhanya, P. works at Centre for Climate Change and Adaptation Research, College of Engineering, Guindy Campus, Anna University,Sardar Patel Road, Chennai – 600 025 and can be contacted at dhanyapraveen.cc@gmail.com
A. Ramachandran Ramachandran. A, Founder &Former Director, Centre for Climate Change and Adaptation Research, College of Engineering, Guindy Campus, Anna University, Sardar Patel Road, Chennai – 600 025 and can be contacted at ram7@annauniv.edu, Telephone: 044 – 2235 7464 /2235 2244, Fax:044 – 2235 2244
K. Palanivelu Palanivelu K, Centre for Climate Change and Adaptation Research, College of Engineering, Guindy Campus, Anna University Sardar Patel Road, Chennai – 600 025, and can be contacted at kpvelu@annauniv.eduThis works falls under the CIFRE1 convention of the Office of Economic Cooperation for Mediterranean and Middle East (OCEMO)

Keywords:

Autonomous adaptations, Perceptions, Climate variability, Adaptation Matrix

Abstract

This study tries to explore the perceptions of the local farming community on the changes in climate and to evaluate their existing coping strategies in the Chengalpet areas of Tamil Nadu, a semi-arid coastal region of South India. For this purpose, Rapid Rural Appraisals, Focal Group Discussions and in-depth surveys have been carried out during the month of June 2013. This research observed that the majority of the farmers have perceived climate variability and especially increasing temperature, prolonged dry spells, erratic rainfall patterns etc based on their personnel and farming experiences. This study observed that climate change has already started to affect marginal and subsistence farmers to a great extent. The farmers are practising autonomous adaptation strategies like changing the timing of farm operations, varying planting dates, shifting traditional crops to heat-tolerant crops and varieties and shifting from traditional rice paddy cultivation to other cash crops which are less water-intensive etc. This study recommends that in order to cope with future challenges and to attain sustainable crop production and livelihood security, site-specific planned adaptation strategies also should be implemented.

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