Adaptation to Climate Change in Rain-Fed Farming System in Punjab, Pakistan

Farmers in the rain-fed agriculture in arid regions are highly exposed to the adverse effects of climate change due to complete reliance on frequency, intensity, and timing of the rainfall. Adaptation, in such condition, becomes crucial to remain in farming in climate change regime. In the rural settings of the less-developed areas, farm households mostly adapt to risks posed by climate change individually. However, the benefits of private adaptation can be private and public depending on the type of adaptation strategies. The present study investigates different adaptation strategies of farmers using cross-sectional data collected from semi-arid region of Punjab province of Pakistan. The study also examines the role of socioeconomic characteristics of farmers on adaptation to climate change. Private adaptations for private and public benefits are considered in the present study. Data is collected from 190 respondents through random sampling. Logit model is employed to find out determinants of adaptation strategies adopted by the farmers. Results indicate that education, farming experience, family size and tractor ownership are significantly related with adaptation to climate change. The study concludes that policymakers should consider the potential difference in private benefits and public benefits resulting from private adaptation to climate change in relation to human capital, family assets and farm machinery when designing policy interventions for climate adaptations. The public goods related private adaptations should be encouraged through appropriate policy interventions.