Assessing the Knowledge and Attitude of Farmers towards Climate Change in Kishanganj District, Bihar, India

Abstract

Climate change is viewed as the main problem of agriculture development in India. High dependence on agriculture and allied sectors makes the Indian state of Bihar vulnerable to climate change. Farmers' perceptions of climate change and their preferences for adaptation strategies must be understood in order to improve policies for addressing the issues that climate brings to farmers. Therefore, the main aim of the present study was to understand farmer’s perception of awareness of the climate change and their perception towards coping mechanism for changing climate. A total of 240 respondents were selected using purposive sampling in the % villages of Kishanganj district from March to May 2023. A descriptive research design was used in the study. Data was collected through face to face interview method using a semi structured interview schedule and analyzed using suitable statistical tools and techniques. It was found that the majority of farmers had a medium level of socio-economic characteristics. From the study result it was found that farmers were aware of about the climate change. Farmers agreed that the peak time of seasons has changed and there is a change in the onset of monsoon. Farmers exhibited resilience to changing climate through various local adaptation practices such as Switch to timely weather forecasting information, Climate-resilient practices, etc. The findings will help to refine and enrich the knowledge among the stakeholders to provide an effective framework for decisions and policy making.