Manuscript Title:

CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS ON HORTICULTURAL CROPS PRODUCTIVITY AND FARMERS’ ADAPTIVE STRATEGIES IN DISTRICT PISHIN, BALOCHISTAN

Author:

ASFAND YAR AYAZ, MUHAMMAD ASHRAF, GHULAM MURTAZA, SAID QASIM, JAMAL-UD-DIN

DOI Number:

DOI:10.17605/OSF.IO/U6VX7

Published : 2022-09-23

About the author(s)

1.ASFAND YAR AYAZ - M.Phil. Scholar, department of Disaster Management and Development Studies, University of Balochistan Quetta, Pakistan.
2. MUHAMMAD ASHRAF - Assistant Professor (Ph.D.) department of Disaster Management and Development Studies, University of Balochistan Quetta, Pakistan.
3. GHULAM MURTAZA - Assistant Professor (Ph.D.) department of Disaster Management and Development Studies, University of Balochistan Quetta, Pakistan.
4. SAID QASIM - Department of Geography and Regional Planning Department, University of Balochistan, Quetta, Pakistan.
5. JAMAL-UD-DIN - Ph.D. scholar, department of Disaster Management and Development Studies, University of Balochistan Quetta, Pakistan.

Full Text : PDF

Abstract

Pakistan demography, geography and diverse climatic situation has increased the climate change vulnerability manifold. Balochistan is situated in arid and semi-arid region and has been affected severely due to climate change over the last two decades. The aim of this research is to examine the climate change induced impacts on horticultural crops productivity and farmers’ coping and adaptive strategies have also been studied. A comprehensive field survey has been conducted in district Pishin from 200 through face-to-face interviews. Data relevant to area, production and yield (1988 – 2018) of major fruits crops and that of rainfall, maximum and minimum temperature has also been analyzed to understand the variation in area and yield of selected fruits. Findings of the study revealed that temperature has increased whereas rainfall has decreased in the district for the last two decades. These results are in line with the farmers’ perception about these climatic indicators. Annual growth rate (in percentage) of area indicates that significant increase has been observed in grapes cultivation (18.63 hectares per year) while least increased in area (0.83 hectares per year) is observed in apricot cultivation during 1988 – 2018. However, a significant decrease in yield of all major fruit crops has been observed during the study period. Field survey further revealed that farmers have adopted varieties of coping and adaptive strategies that includes crop management/diversification, inputs adjustment, and efficient use of water, depletion of household assets, consumption smoothing and migration. To reduce the impact of climate change and to protect the farmers, policy recommendations are proffered for the research area.


Keywords

climate change, Horticulture crops, Water management, coping, adaptation, Balochistan.