This thesis studies the field of drought hazard and its findings are consistent with existing literature on drought in Thailand and other regions. In the country and study area, the findings and results of this study may provide effective and useful adaptation strategies to drought and also help understand drought's impacts on agricultural production and farmers' livelihoods, because of the little existing research on drought in the study area. In addition, maybe this thesis can assist the regional and rural planners and extension officials and other agro and rural related sectors and departments to formulate development plans, policies and extend useful and effective services in order to facilitate farmers to be able to sustain their livelihood against the drought by adapting the most effective adaptation strategies.
Drought is one of the major threats among all natural hazards to people’s livelihoods and socio-economic development. Drought is a normal characteristic of climate and is considered to be the most complex but least realized of all natural hazards which affects more people than any other hazards particularly the farmers and their livelihoods. The firs and the most consequence of drought lies on Agriculture and threatened both agriculture sector and those who are dependent on it in that drought affected area. Nong Ya Sai district of Thailand is a drought prone area which the farmers have been suffering from drought during the recent years. Since, it is a long time that the farmers have experienced the drought and its consequences on their farming and their livelihoods, they could have a good perception of drought and its impacts on their agro-based livelihood. Thus, they have applied some adaptation strategies to reduce the drought impacts on their farming and livelihood in that area.
Therefore, this study has attempted to focus on farmers’ adaptation strategies to drought in order to find out what strategies or techniques are adapted by farmers to reduce the drought impacts on their both farming and livelihoods. Furthermore, this study has assessed the farmers’ perception and understanding of drought and what are the drought impacts on agriculture and farmers livelihoods. To achieve these objectives, the Nong Ya Sai district of Thailand has defined as the target area of this study where it is a drought affected area and the farmers have experienced and adapted some strategies to reduce the drought impacts.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1.1 Background of Study
1.2 Rationale
1.3 Problem Statement
1.4 Research Objectives
1.5 Conceptual Framework
1.6 Scope and Limitations
2. Literature Review
2.1 Climate and Drought Information of Suphanburi Province
2.2 Drought Characteristics and Types
2.3 Potential Impacts of Drought
2.4 Drought impacts on Agriculture and Rural Livelihood
2.5 Farmers Adaptation Strategies to Drought
2.6 Policies to Deal with the 2014 – 2016 Drought in Thailand
3. Research Design
3.1 Type of Research and Research Design
3.2 Selection of Study Area
3.3 Sample Design
3.4 Process of Data Collection
3.5 Data Analysis and Techniques Used Profile of the Study Area and Respondents
4. Profile of the Study Area and Respondents
4.1 Physical Settings
4.2 Land Use Pattern
4.3 Demographic Information
4.4 Agriculture
4.5 Socio-economic Profile of Respondents
5. Farmers’ Understanding, Experiences and Interpretation of Drought
5.1 Role of Perception and Understanding in Hazards Risk
5.2 Farmers Perception of Drought
5.3 Farmer’s Understanding of Causes of Drought
5.4 Farmers’ Experience of Drought
6. Impacts of Drought on Agriculture and Farmers’ Livelihoods
6.1 Agricultural Impacts of Drought
6.2 Economic Impacts of Drought
6.3 Social Impacts
7. Identify the Farmers’ Current Adaptation Strategies to Reduce Drought Impacts
7.1 Concept of Adaptation to Drought
7.2 Farmers Adaptation Strategies to Reduce Drought Impacts in the Study Area
7.3 On-Farm Adaptation Strategies to Reduce Drought Impacts
7.4 Off-farm Strategies
7.5 Governmental Supports and Activities During Drought
8. Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation for Managing Drought Impacts
8.1 Summary of Findings
8.2 Conclusions
8.3 Recommendations
Research Objectives and Themes
This study aims to determine the adaptation strategies employed by farmers in the Nong Ya Sai district to mitigate the impact of drought on agricultural productivity and livelihoods. It seeks to assess farmers' perception, experience, and understanding of drought, examine its socio-economic consequences, and formulate recommendations for effective drought management.
- Farmers' perception and interpretation of drought hazards.
- Socio-economic and agricultural impacts of drought in the study area.
- On-farm drought adaptation techniques and practices.
- Off-farm strategies, including income diversification and migration.
- Governmental support and institutional interventions.
Auszug aus dem Buch
1.1 Background of Study
The drought is perhaps a serious natural hazard that mankind have been facingworld widely, mainly in terms of its impacts on agricultural productivity and farmers’ livelihood. The drought is one of the mjor important climate related disasters which climate change is set to exacerbate (ECA, 2007). It is a harmful natural hazard which is related to a deficiency of precipitation over an extended period of time, usually for a season or more. Such a deficiency causes in a water shortage for some activities, environmental sectors, or groups. Also, there are some other climatic factors such as high wind, low relative humidity, and high temperature are often associated with drought.
In opposite to other natural hazards, the drought events evolve slowly in time and their impacts generally span a long period of time (Bacanli et al, 2008). Drought occurs in virtually all climatic zones, but its characteristics vary significantly from one region to another. It is a temporary aberration; it differs from aridity, which is restricted to low rainfall regions and is a permanent feature of climate (Ishaya et al.,2010).It occurs due to some very simple incidences and intervention in the ecosystem of affected regions. If it is not raining often, and there are extended periods of hot temperatures, it can cause reduce water content and high pressure winds. This can avoid from formation of thunderstorms and stop rainfall altogether for a prolonged period of time. However, human activities can contribute to a drought too. This is a fact unless many would not believe it. The reason why this can happen is, because things such as farming, deforestation, a surplus of irrigation and even erosion can lead to drought. All of these things done by human activities can cause the land and earth to dry out which causes drought. Also, climate change can contribute to drought; by an increase in global warming, it can have a wide contribution of impacts on the possibilities of drought.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the research background, rationale, problem statement, objectives, and the conceptual framework regarding drought impacts and adaptation.
2. Literature Review: Provides a synthesis of existing literature on drought characteristics, types, potential impacts, and various farmer adaptation strategies.
3. Research Design: Describes the methodology, including the selection of the study area, sampling design, and data collection processes.
4. Profile of the Study Area and Respondents: Outlines the geographical, demographic, agricultural, and socio-economic characteristics of the Nong Ya Sai district.
5. Farmers’ Understanding, Experiences and Interpretation of Drought: Analyzes the farmers' perception, level of understanding of causes, and personal experiences with drought.
6. Impacts of Drought on Agriculture and Farmers’ Livelihoods: Details the economic and social consequences of drought on crop production, livestock, and rural community life.
7. Identify the Farmers’ Current Adaptation Strategies to Reduce Drought Impacts: Evaluates the specific on-farm and off-farm strategies adopted by farmers, along with governmental support received.
8. Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation for Managing Drought Impacts: Concludes with key findings and offers policy recommendations to manage future drought challenges.
Keywords
Drought Hazard, Agricultural Production, Farmers’ Livelihood, Adaptation Strategies, Nong Ya Sai District, Climate Change, On-farm Strategies, Off-farm Strategies, Precipitation Deficiency, Risk Management, Rural Development, Water Scarcity, Sustainable Agriculture, Household Income, Drought Mitigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this thesis?
The thesis focuses on identifying and analyzing the adaptation strategies used by farmers in the Nong Ya Sai district of Thailand to reduce the negative impacts of drought on their farming and rural livelihoods.
What are the central thematic areas of the research?
The central themes include drought perception and awareness, the impacts of drought on agriculture (crop and livestock) and household economy, and both on-farm and off-farm adaptation measures.
What is the primary research objective?
The primary objective is to determine the various adaptation strategies adopted by farmers to mitigate the agricultural and economic consequences of drought in the specified study area.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The research employs a survey design combining exploratory and explanatory approaches, utilizing both qualitative and quantitative data analysis (including SPSS) collected via structured questionnaires, key informant interviews, and field observations.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The main body covers the theoretical background, the socio-economic profile of the respondents, the analysis of farmers' understanding of drought, its specific impacts on production and income, and a detailed identification of current adaptation practices.
How are the results categorized?
The results are categorized into farmers’ perceptions, agricultural impacts, economic consequences, on-farm adaptation strategies (e.g., changing crops, irrigation techniques), and off-farm strategies (e.g., migration, income diversification).
How does this study contribute to local policy?
It provides empirical data on local adaptation challenges and recommends policy interventions, such as improved pre-warning systems, support for efficient irrigation, and economic diversification to move away from single-crop dependency.
What is the role of the government in these strategies?
The government provides financial support (credits), extension services, and infrastructure projects, such as checking dams, to assist farmers in coping with severe drought conditions and transitioning to more sustainable agricultural practices.
- Citar trabajo
- Farhad Hamidi (Autor), 2017, Farmers’ Adaptation Strategies to Drought, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/375850
