Farmers’ adaptation to climate change in the dry zone, Myanmar

Author: Yi Yi Thant

AIT Library Call Number: AIT Thesis no.RD-15-02

Year: 2015

Academic Program: Regional and Rural Development Planning (RRDP)

Type: Thesis (M. Sc.) – Asian Institute of Technology, 2015

Examination Committee: Gopal. B. Thapa (Chairperson); Soparth Pongquan, Mokbul Morshed Ahmad (Examination Committee Members)

Abstract: Climate change issue has been threatening more and more the entire world and become one of the priority issues at national and international level . Therefore, this study attempt ed to assess the local farmers’ perception and their behaviors response to climate changes . This study focused on assessment of farmers’ perception on climate trends including the change s in the amount and pattern of rainfall and seasonal an d durational temperature ranges. T he current agricultural adaptation s through cropping system and agronomic practices and i nfluencing factors on farmers’ adaptation were also analyze d. Quantitative analysis w as mainly used together with qualitative analysis . This study was conducted in rainfed and partially irrigated villages in Taungtha township, dry zone of Myanmar. Survey questionnaire was us ed as main data collection tool to collect data for 150 respondents. The required information was collected through field observation, household level survey, key informant interview and focus group discussion. The result finding showed that farmers in bot h villages perceived rainfall become low and irregular, low intensity and increasing dry spell period. Farmers’ perception varied according to their age, education level and their primary occupation . The finding pointed out that farmers in rainfed village have more adaptation by increasing growing area of less water requiring crops by intercropping with major crops and also changing from local varieties to short lived varieties to avoid July drought. However, farmers in partially irrigated village more focu sed on cash crop because of irrigation water assess, but tried to reduce crop water requirement by shifting to short lived varieties . Farmers in both villages adapted to low and erratic rainfall by adjusting tillage practice in crop cultivation including fallow period for soil water conservation

Scholarship Donor(s): Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway

Note: A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the d egree of Master of Science in Regional and Rural Development Planning

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Search keywords index: Yi Yi Thant Farmers’ adaptation to climate change in the dry zone, Myanmar Regional and Rural Development Planning (RRDP) Climatic changes — Myanmar;