Perception of farmers and impact of climate change on agriculture in the subtropics of Jammu and Kashmir

Abstract

newline Climate change is evidenced through rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, frequent droughts, and ecological imbalance. While both natural phenomena like volcanic eruptions and anthropogenic factors such as deforestation and fossil fuel use contribute to this change, there is growing consensus that human activities are accelerating the climate crisis. As per the future projection studies, the temperature could rise ±1.2and#9702; C to ±3.5and#9702; C and will start reducing by the end of 2050 (Ravindra, et al. 2024). Jammu and Kashmir a region uniquely vulnerable due to its fragile Himalayan ecosystem are facing changes which are already affecting biodiversity, water availability, and agricultural stability. newlineDespite this reality, there remains gap in literature exploring how farmers in this region respond to, and are aware about being vulnerable to climate change. Thus, the present study titled Perception of Farmers and Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture in the Subtropics of Jammu and Kashmir was carried out to fill this empirical gap. Using a diagnostic non-experimental design, data was collected from 300 farm households across 21 blocks sampled proportionally from six districts: Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Udhampur, Reasi, and Rajouri. Villages were randomly selected using random generator to ensure unbiased representation. newlineThe findings reveal that the average age of the respondents was 51 years, suggesting a mature farming population with long-term exposure to climatic shifts. A significant 79 per cent of farmers were aware of climate change, with Kathua farmers first hearing about it as early as 1995. The most perceived cause was a combination of both human and natural factors (32%). Almost 97 per cent of farmers identified erratic rainfall as the strongest indicator of climate change. Yet, adaptation remains only 23 per cent and 17 per cent believed these strategies effectively reduce climate impacts. The study further revealed that districts like Samba exhibit higher adaptive capacity, and Rajouri remains hig