Paddy Farmers' Perception and Indigenous Decision to Climate Change Risks: Insights from Bagerhat District of Bangladesh

This study investigates paddy farmers' perceptions of climate change impacts and their indigenous adaptation strategies in the coastal Bagerhat district of Bangladesh. Applying a multi-stage sampling technique, we collected primary data from 120 farmers in two upazilas namely Fakirhat and Rampal and assessed farmers' climate vulnerability and analyze factors influencing their adaptation decisions. We deployed logistic regression models for the data analysis. Results suggest that farmers perceive increasing temperatures, irregular rainfall, and severe impacts from floods, cyclones, and salinity intrusion. Income loss and crop failure emerge as the most severe climate-related problems. The climate vulnerability index (0.094) suggests farmers are moderately vulnerable, with high sensitivity but low adaptive capacity. To cope with climatic risks, farmers primarily adopt indigenous strategies like increasing irrigation, early harvesting, and changing planting dates. Factors significantly influencing adaptation choices include age, education, household size, farm distance, land area, extension services access, and income sources. Key constraints to adaptation are lack of government support and financial resources. The study recommends location-specific institutional planning, improved irrigation facilities, enhanced agricultural extension services, and better access to farm credit to support farmers' adaptation efforts. These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers to design targeted interventions that will enhance paddy farmers' resilience to climate change in coastal Bangladesh. Future research using longitudinal data could further elucidate the long-term dynamics of farmers' adaptation strategies and outcomes.