RESUMO
The Indian agriculture is highly vulnerable to climate change which adversely affects crop production and livelihood of farmers. The effect is more intensified in Vindhyan highlands, where prolong drought and high rate of poverty exist in depredation environment. In this context, present study conducted to explore farmers' perception, attitude about climate change and adaptive capabilities. We undertook an interview schedules survey through structured questionnaire in Duddhi block of Sonbhadra district. A total of 400 households were selected in which 347 (86.75%) male and 53 (13.25%) female respondents have participated. The perception of farmers on climate change is presented in SI (severity index) which varies from 36% to 68.63%. The statement 'rainy season decreases' ranked first with SI (68.63%) followed by 'temperature increases' SI (66.06%). This investigation identified 17 types of adaptive practices which are frequently performed in the Vindhyan highlands. Based on the WAI (Weighted Average Index) score, crop diversification (2.0), cultivation of drought-adapted crop varieties (1.99), changing plantation calendar (1.95) were the most adopted practices. Multiple regression analysis between the socio-economic status of farmers and the adaptation practices, recorded a significant positive relationship with age (P < 0.01), family size (P < 0.05), education (P < 0.01), caste categories (P < 0.05) and livestock ownership (P < 0.01) of farmer. This study will be helpful in developing drought resilience farming practices for sustaining the livelihood of farmers and inform policy making.
RESUMO
Varanasi district is comprised of eight administrative blocks. Owing to economic development, it has shown an increase in urban activities. Analysis of remotely sensed data for a period of two decades reveals that the built-up area increased by about 345% while vegetation decreased by 86% during 1993-2013. Contrary to other observations, land use changes, due to urban growth, increased not only the built area but also the agriculture class. Agricultural area increased by 39% in the two decades. Population density increased from 1217 to 1806 person/km2 and household density grew from 152 to 273 households/km2 during 1991-2011. Land absorption coefficient (LAC) and land consumption ratio (LCR) were calculated as demographic indices of land use land cover change (LULC). Vegetation delineation shows that sparse vegetation increased from 40.2 to 90.1 km2 while dense vegetation decreased from 28.4 to 1.7 km2 in 1993-2013. There was a distinct shift from agriculture, as a primary economic activity, towards non-agricultural pursuits. In order to frame better strategies for sustainable development and food security, this phenomenon of increasing urbanization around cities needs to be studied. This micro scale study can be helpful in formulating policy for urban areas in developing countries like India which heavily depend on agriculture to sustain their population and economy.
