Participatory approach to assess the adaptability of farming community to climate change: A case study in Eravur Pattu DS Division, Batticaloa

Abstract

The study examines the awareness and adaptability of farming community to climate change in Eravur Pattu DS Division in Batticaloa District. The study is based on the workshops and programmes carried out by the Government and Non-Governmental Organizations to climate change of the farmers in their livelihood. The study consists of data gathered from the household survey, group discussions, key informant interviews and secondary data from District secretariat office. These approaches measured the former communities' awareness and adaptation to the climate change. The study revealed that 65% of farmers have the awareness for preparedness and mitigation plan for disaster. However, the study shows that only 33% of the formers have adapted their life styles to the prevailing climate change, which is still in poor level. The group discussions revealed that the farming community did not give much concern in the climatic pattern in early days. However, the continuous trainings and awareness given by the relevant officials made the forming community to think about the adaptation to improve their livelihood status. The study also focused the constraints faced by the farmers in the adaptation to the climate change. Farmers expressed that low infrastructure facilities do not support them to mitigate the disaster and to adopt new technologies to overcome the climatic challenge in their livelihood pattern. As conclusion, the study suggested that more concern should be taken in the grass root level of farmers to get a good impact on further implementations and for the sustainability in the community.