Farming Community Perceptions about Climate Change in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan

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4.2. Farmers Land Types

Many studies indicate that in the un-irrigated areas rising temperatures will reduce crop yields in many regions, especially where soil, water and climate resources are already limited, including many food insecure countries. Impacts of increased under-nutrition on human health would further compound negative impacts, especially for smallholder, subsistence farmers and pastoralist communities, whose access to good land, adequate agricultural inputs and viable markets is limited ^[6]. The impacts of climate change on irrigation requirements will be felt through net changes in precipitation and evaporative demands, including impacts on regional water availability through snow melt, river flow, etc. The latter can be significant. Major changes in precipitation may impact river flow in key irrigated regions of the subcontinent ^[7]. To ass the impact of climate change land of the sample respondents was divided into irrigated and un-irrigated. Data in Table 2 shows that 58% respondents having un-irrigated land, while 42% having irrigated land. This implies that in the area there is the existence of more un-irrigated land which was more vulnerable to the climate change and hence the farmer are affected by the climate change phenomena by one way or the other. Thus the finding of this study is also supported by the findings of FAO ^[6]. The Chi-square value pointed that the respondents were not equally distributed in the types of land and hence the result of the test were not significant. Data also pointed that the percent owner of the un-irrigated were more in Lahore and Topi union councils and this is attributed by the fact that the land of these areas are still lacking the facilities of the modern technological irrigation system.

Table 2. Distribution of respondents on the basis of land types

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4.3. Main Crops Grown by the Respondents

Climate change has already caused significant impacts on food security, hydropower, human health and water resources. Climate change will add a significant set of challenges to agriculture and its underlying land and water resources. The changes in crop production related climatic variables will possibly have major influences on regional as well as global food production. Climate change will affect the food quality because of the increasing temperature and decreasing crop growth period. In this regards crop grown by the sample respondents were divided in to two main categories i.e. food crop and cash crop. Food crop main includes wheat and maize and cash crop include tobacco only. The Data in Table 3 shows that wheat is one of the most popular crops of the area and overwhelming majority (100%) respondents reported for its cultivation in all the selected union councils in the area. The reason for this may be the lacking of irrigation water in most of the area under study and also the responses preferences for this food staple crop. The data also pointed that 66% of the respondents growing maize in almost all union councils of the study. It was also reported by 34 % of the respondents that they are growing tobacco as a cash crop at their field and the percent distribution of the respondents was more in union council Razar and Swabi. This is because that in these two union councils there were more irrigated area as compared to the others two UCs. It was also reported by the respondents that sugarcane, barley, brassica, millet, cowpea, opium and chickpea were also commonly grown in the past, but due to change in climate these crops are not grown now a days. In some areas sugarcane were also grown by farmers as a cash crop on small scale. This implies that main crops of the area were wheat, maize and sugarcane due to the suitable environment of the area for its growing.

Table 3. Distribution of respondents on the basis of main crops grown

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4.4. Types of Fruits Trees Grown

Most of the rural people in the world are food insecure and malnourished and most of the households have been reported to experience food shortages by many researcher and development agencies. The households face food insecurity, and poverty is the major factor hampering development in rural areas of the world and especially in Pakistan. Scherr ^[17] stressed that rural households’ survival strategies encompass multiple objectives in maximization of utility, like provision of food and subsistence goods, cash for purchase of goods and services and saving for future needs. Households therefore depend on various activities to sustain their livelihoods. They choose a combination of activities that contribute most towards their multiple objectives and yields greatest utility ^[11]. Fruit trees are an important component of rural people’s basket of natural resources mostly among the marginalize groups in society. In this regards data in Table 4 indicated that the majority of respondents (90%) did not grow any fruit trees due to lack of water and heavy frost. The farmers also informed during discussion that there were orchards of grapes and guava but due to climate change it is also not grown in the area. However the plum fruit orchards lead to 5%, 4% apricot and 1% cantaloupe. The data as a whole stated that mostly the respondents in the area are not grown any kind of fruit trees on the field, implies that there is little agro forestry in the area. The test result is not significant and there is no association in the respondent’s opinions about the fruits trees grown in the area.

Table 4. Distribution on the basis of fruits grown

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4.5. Types of Vegetables Grown

Vegetable production is one of the human basic skills. The level of success and productivity of vegetables production depend on the local climate and season and the range of species cultivated. Also a successful vegetable production is very much dependent upon supply of satisfactory seeds which grows easily in the available environment. Commercial production of vegetables has extended considerably during the past few decades in many parts of the world as large-scale enterprises to provide for fresh market and export. There are several reasons for growing vegetables, but the most important is for food, as vegetables are essential in diet, provide fiber, trace minerals, vitamins, carbohydrates and proteins ^[9]. There are some relatively small-scale producers who aim at self- sufficiency in vegetables for the sale or exchange in village communities. Farmers of Swabi district were involved in vegetable production on limited scale due to change in climate. Data in the Table 5, shows that 71% farmers were not growing vegetables. The main vegetables grown were lady finger 9%, turnip 5%, radish 4%, spinach 3%, bitter guard 2%, pumpkin 2%, tomato 2% and carrot 2%. The female respondents during the interviews reported cultivation of tomato, cucurbits, and pumpkins in limited quantities. Most of these were grown on a large scale in the past. Their cultivation has reduced due to environmental conditions, shortage of water and labor. This implies that large numbers of respondents (76%) were not growing vegetables due to some water problems and climate change.

Table 5. Distribution on the basis of vegetables grown

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4.6. Perception about Temperature Change Trends

Crops grown in a particular area need a right temperature. Climate change could make it too hot to grow certain crops, and droughts caused by climate change could reduce the amount of water available for irrigation. Climate change is also likely to cause stronger storms and more floods, which can damage crops. Higher temperatures and changing rainfall patterns could help some kinds of weeds and pests to spread to new areas. In this regards farmers were asked about the change in temperature during the last five years. Data in Table 6 present changes observed in temperature during last 5 years. The data in the table pointed that 93% respondents reported for change in the temperature and says that the temperature increase in winter, spring, summer and autumn and 7% of the respondents pointed that the temperature decreased during last five years. During the group discussion, farmers reported that temperature is raising gradually which impact the duration of crop growth and speed up crop growth and shorten the duration between sowing and harvesting. This shortening could have an adverse effect on productivity of crops and fodder for livestock, it also has its negative impact on livestock because young animals are susceptible to high temperature as compared to adult animals which is considered to be the big hurdle for the farmers to rare farm animals. This result verified the findings of Martin ^[12], who founds that climate change is clearly visible during the last century in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province of Pakistan by reporting that temperature is considerably increasing in the months of autumn and winter in high altitudes of North-West frontier Pakistan where growing season is too short for crops to reach maturity. The finding was also supported by the report of (TFFC, 2010) pointed that temperature increase in Pakistan is expected to be higher than the global average which resulting in reduced national agricultural productivity. Warmer temperatures may make many crops grow more quickly, but warmer temperatures could also reduce yields.

Table 6. Perceptions of respondents about climate change trends during last five years

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4.7. Changes in Moon Soon during Last Five Years

Seasonality is caused by the tilting of the Earth, while the monsoon weather systems are a result of the land-sea temperature differences caused by solar radiation ^[8]. When the Earth rotates and revolves around the Sun, different seasons occur due to the different land masses of the northern and southern hemispheres. Monsoonal areas receive summer rainfall maximums and most of double rainfall maximums. Monsoon not only influences Asian countries, but also breaches beyond the tropical latitudes. Monsoon rainfall can also affect regions that were not originally considered as monsoonal ^[18]. The two main monsoon regimes are specifically named the northeast monsoon (winter monsoon) from November to March, and the southwest monsoon (summer monsoon) from late May to September. Furthermore, October is the transition month from the southwest to northeast monsoon seasons ^[4]. The data in Table 7 shows perception of the respondents about the change in monsoon occurred. It is evident from the data that 82% respondent reported that monsoon rains comes two weeks earlier, from their normal occurrence while 12% respondents says that the monsoon comes 3 weeks earlier from the normal, where as 6% respondents says that monsoon comes one week earlier . According to respondents change in the timing of monsoon is observed over the last 05 years; however, the intensity of monsoon has decreased. This implies that if monsoon rains comes earlier, then may be crops sowing time are delayed, are also damage crop in young or in maturity stage where irrigation are not necessary, so this climate change can effect farmer’s livelihood as well as country’s agriculture productivity.

Table 7. Respondents perceptions regarding change in timings of monsoon

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4.8. Changes in Quantity of Monsoon Received

Increasing in temperature in the late 21^st century and early 22^nd century will cause frequent changes and shifts to the monsoon precipitation up to 70% below normal levels ^[19]. The small scale regional circulations are more vulnerable to variations in monsoon rainfall ^[16]. There is no doubt that precipitation patterns have changed globally in recent. Monsoon flooding in Southeast Asia have impacted many people in terms of loss of lives and property damage. In this regards the data in Table 8, shows the changes occurred in quantity of monsoon during the last 5 years. It is evident from the data that 84% of the respondents reported that there is change in the quantity of monsoon, where as 16% pointed that they have not seen any change. Those respondents who have said that change in quantity of monsoon occurred, in which 46% of respondents reported that Monsoon has increased to some extent, 29% mentioned that moon soon has increased heavily and 25% pointed that moon soon has slightly decreased. This implies that change in quantity of monsoon occurred in the area and thus can brings many problems i.e. floods, which destroy all the crops as well as farmer’s homes, so it effect farmer’s livelihood at a very large scale. The test results pointed that is a significant change took place in the farmer’s perceptions regarding the monsoon seasons, while the perceptions results regarding how the monsoon commence was not significant as per Chi-square value.

Table 8. Distribution of respondents on change in quantity of monsoon during last five years

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4.9. Changes in Farming Practices due to Climate Change

Climate change is inevitable and unstoppable in its nature. Increases in precipitation and temperature can lead to increased pest and disease pressure on crops and livestock, with changes in overwintering survival, regional distribution, growth rates and outbreaks. In this situation the climate change will add a significant set of challenges to agriculture and its underlying land and water resources. In this the farmers have to adopt or have to mitigate in order to overcome the problem of climate change. The benefits of adaptation of land and water management are most pronounced with low to moderate warming. A large number of existing farm-level management practices are already available as a basis for devising climate change response strategies needed in coming decades. These include growing new varieties and species that are more adapted to altered thermal and hydrological conditions; rescheduling of farm management practices such as irrigation and nutrient application to better match altered phonological cycles; implementation of technologies that conserve water and soil. By noting this perception of the farmers the data in Table 9 shows changes occurred in farming practices in the last five years. It is evident from the data that 43% of the sample respondents reported for change in the crop verities having more tolerance to the disease and pest. It was also reported by 47% of the sample respondents that to overcome the problem of climate change the farmers of the area change the sowing time of different crops., It was also reported by 27% of the sample respondents that changes occurred in weeding practices, while 23% of the respondents for the change in using fertilizers and 16% of the respondents pointed for change in irrigation practices in the area in-ordered to overcome the problem of water shortage in the area. This implies that these changes occurred due to climate change and the findings also indicates that the farmers need technical direction and guidelines in irrigation, fertilizers use, weeding practices, provision of climate change resistance verities and proper sowing time according to the climate change phenomena. The p-value suggest that the farmers agronomic practices change due to the climate change in the area.

Table 9. Distribution of respondents on changes in farming practices

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4.10. Farmer’s Expectations about Services

Essential feature of rural agriculture farming is the ability to adapt to natural variability to ensure long-term sustainability of food production. From the technical perspective of needed solutions, many management-level adaptation options are largely extensions or intensifications of existing climate risk management, or of known production enhancement activities, developed over past decades in response to climate variability across a range of plant-growth environments. Data in Table 100 shows the results of the farmers expectation priority of services required to combat climate change and increase production of crops. It was reported by 98% of the sample respondents that agriculture extension services will be required at the field level, 93% of the respondents pointed for the livestock services while 94% of the respondents mentioned that there is a need of meteorological services. It was also mentioned by 86% of the respondents that tunnel farming is a solution to overcome the climate change. The data further pointed that 78% of the respondents mentioned for the provision of irrigation services followed by 73% of the respondents mentioned for the more tolerance verities.

Table 10. Distribution of farmer’s expectations about services to be provided

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