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International Conference on

Recent Trends in Environmental Sustainability

ESCON22/CDMP/24
Farmers preferences to adopt climate smart practices based on socioeconomic and
hydrometeorological parameters

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Dr. Sajjad Ahmad , Misbah Qadeer , Dr. Muhammad Imran , Dr. Behzad Murtaza
1 Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari- Campus,
61100 Pakistan
Correspondence: sajjad.ahmad@cuivehari.edu.pk
Abstract
Agriculture face climate change as a special challenge. Development of farming system and
food security in changing climate of Pakistan requires climate smart agriculture practices to
consider. This study was aimed to evaluate socioeconomic parameters and preferences of
farmers to follow climate-smart agricultural technologies andto assess hydrometeorological
condition. In first step socioeconomic information of farmers were collected from primary
source and in second step hydrometeorological parameters were collected from secondary
source by using NASA website. By using systematic random sampling, socioeconomic
information was collected questionnaire based on interviews of farmers. It was observed that
23 years old newly young farmers have less experience however, they know about technical
knowledge of agriculture how to adopt climate smart practices. On the other hand, 70 years old
age farmers have more experience, but they were found quite less aware about technical
knowledge how to adopt climate smart practices in agricultural sector. Literacy rate of farmers
in Vehari was higher that is 50 percent and in Pakpattan were lower that is 12 percent. Around
20 percent farmers have awareness of climate smart agriculture practices. In district Pakpattan
about 60 percent farmers just preferred farming as key profession. On the other hand, small
scale farmers prefer farming and side business like Vehari about 63 percent. It is observed that
wheat production is higher in Mailsi which was about 41 percent. Rice production was higher
in Vehari about 18 percent. Cotton production was higher in Burewala about 30 percent. It was
observed that maximum distance from farm to market is greater than 15kms and minimum
distance is less than 5kms.Maximum tunnel farming technique was applied in Arifwala which
is 45 percent and minimum in Vehari which was 20 percent. It was observed that precipitation
rate is higher in Pakpattan that was 400mm as compared to Vehari that was 250mm. It was
observed that minimum temperature of Pakpattan is about 32 centigrade as compared to Vehari
is 36 centigrade. Farmers should also learn how to incorporate climate change adaptation plans,
and they should be able to make long-term changes such as adjusting crop varieties and
growing locations. Government climate change policies should place a greater emphasis on
illiterate farmers who are still alert and violent in their farming activities, as well as policies
for adapting to climate change in terms of agricultural development. Drip irrigation method,
laser land levelling, use wastewater after treatment and use sunlight as an energy source which
will be suggested to farmers to adopt climate smart practices as a climate change.

Keywords: agriculture, food security, climate change, drip irrigation, climate smart practices.

Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus

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