Abstract

Author:
Elina Budathoki1, Hema Joshi, Kritan Gajurel, Prabina Bhujel, Pankaj Kumar Yadav

Doi: 10.26480/sfna.02.2022.87.95

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

Climate change is contemporary global threat to this planet. Greenhouse gases which are responsible for global warming and its impact is accelerated by anthropogenic activities. Increasing temperature is creating influence on rice cultivation, production and productivity. In this regard, this study was conducted on Dilasaini Rural municipality of Baitadi district during the period of Jan to Feb 2018 to assess the impact of climate change on rice production and adaptation strategy. Interview survey, key informant interview, focus group discussion were conducted in collecting primary information. Sixty households were sampled from a total of 1538 households with random sampling for interviews survey. The data were analyzed using SPSS computer software. Temperature and precipitation data analysis between 1987 to 2015 showed some changes. Temperature was in increasing trend. The maximum mean temperature was increasing at 0.057°C/year and the minimum mean temperature was increasing at 0.0075°C/decade. Total rainfall was decreasing by 25.22 mm/yr. It was found that some special signs of climate change are experienced by rural communities of the study area. Local communities perceived increasing warm days and shortening cold/winter days. Almost 100 percent respondents have experienced increasing temperature and unusual rainfall events with direct impacts on rice production. Most of the farming communities experienced unusual weather patterns with negative impacts on rice production, increasing water scarcity and increased frequency of weather related disasters. The indicators to this were decrease in the production of crops, occurrence of invasive species at alarming rate and infestation of pests and diseases. As the farmer are practicing the cultivation of the local seed instead of hybrid varieties of the crop as the production is decreasing due to lack of resistance power of the local variety with changing climate, new diseases and pest infestation. On the other hand, changing climate of the area is showing effect on the flowering time of rice species and so were the germination, harvesting and maturing times of rice had changed. All these changes in rice had influenced on the food security of the people in study area, the income from agriculture had decreased, so people are separating from their traditional occupation, way of life and they are seeking alternative professions. Adaptation strategy has not been used due to lack of proper knowledge on adaptation methodology so the farmer of the study area are facing problem to cope with the situation and ultimately facing problem of food security.