The Impact of Climate Change on the Environmental Rights of Dry-Zone Farmers

The climate, livelihood and lifestyle of people in the dry zone in any part of the world are closely interconnected. The livelihood, lifestyle and culture of people depend on the natural environment which is generally known as ecological determinism. Moreover, people adjust themselves according to the changes in the ecological system that take place in their surroundings. Nature, natural resources and climate all are basic part of human life and people must have equal access and right to enjoy all these commons. However, climate changes can cause immense impact on the livelihood of people in the dry zone. The main objective this paper is to analyse the impact of climate change on the environmental right of farmers in the dry zone of Sri Lanka. The twenty key informant interviews and secondary data collection as the reviewing relevant literature were the methodology adopted for the study. The field study was conducted among the farmers in Vavuniya district, Sri Lanka. Thematic analysis was used for the data analysis. The key findings are that farmers in dry zones adapt their lifestyles in response to limited water resources and arid conditions. This adaptation encompasses the utilization of drought-resistant crops, implementation of water conservation techniques like drip irrigation, and the transmission of traditional knowledge across generations to navigate these challenging environments. Furthermore, the effects of climate change directly impact livelihoods by diminishing agricultural productivity, reducing water availability, and threatening food security. This poses a significant threat to the farmers’ reliance on agriculture in this district. Moreover, disparities in resource access persist due to factors such as land tenure systems, government policies, and socio- economic inequalities. This unequal (water) distribution has often marginalized vulnerable groups, including smallholder farmers, obstructing their access to crucial water resources and intensifying their vulnerability to the adverse impacts of climate change. The right to enjoy natural resources including access to water by farmers is deprived and ecological rights of farmers in the dry zone are challenged by the different power relationship operated in the social systems. The political ecology of the study area negatively affected the environmental rights of farmers.