Smallholder perceptions of climate change in high-altitude farming: the influence of household characteristics and local knowledge on adaptation strategies in Nagar District, Pakistan
Local knowledge on climate change is important for designing efficient and effective context-specific adaptation policies. However, there is lack of empirical evidence on the local manifestations of climate change in the high-altitude areas of Pakistan. To fill this gap, this study examines the loca...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-04-01
|
| Series: | Climate Services |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405880725000421 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850136540662988800 |
|---|---|
| author | Iftikhar Ali Ashfaq Ahmad Shah Bader Alhafi Alotaibi Amjad Ali Mohsin Khan |
| author_facet | Iftikhar Ali Ashfaq Ahmad Shah Bader Alhafi Alotaibi Amjad Ali Mohsin Khan |
| author_sort | Iftikhar Ali |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Local knowledge on climate change is important for designing efficient and effective context-specific adaptation policies. However, there is lack of empirical evidence on the local manifestations of climate change in the high-altitude areas of Pakistan. To fill this gap, this study examines the local knowledge-based perceptions of smallholders on climate change, highlighting transformations of farming system. To achieve study objective, data were collected through 430 structured household surveys, 27 key informant interviews and 4 focus group discussions. Data were analyzed on Microsoft Excel and SPSS using univariate and bivariate techniques. Results of univariate analysis discovered that the majority of respondents have perceived substantial climatic changes such as reduction in snowfall, increase in temperature and unpredictable precipitation. To overcome these variations, smallholders have implemented transformative strategies like use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides and a shift from traditional crop farming to horticultural production. Moreover, bivariate results show a significant positive relationship between education and climate change perception of respondents; signifying individuals with higher levels of education tend to have better perceptions. The study underlines the significance of developing context-specific adaptation policies and strategies by integrating local insights, thereby enhancing the resilience and adaptive capacity of smallholders in high mountain regions of Pakistan. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-54bbb4a8cbe241b48dc5b53e93653d49 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2405-8807 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Climate Services |
| spelling | doaj-art-54bbb4a8cbe241b48dc5b53e93653d492025-08-20T02:31:05ZengElsevierClimate Services2405-88072025-04-013810058110.1016/j.cliser.2025.100581Smallholder perceptions of climate change in high-altitude farming: the influence of household characteristics and local knowledge on adaptation strategies in Nagar District, PakistanIftikhar Ali0Ashfaq Ahmad Shah1Bader Alhafi Alotaibi2Amjad Ali3Mohsin Khan4College of Humanities and Development Studies (COHD), China Agricultural University, No. 2 West Yuanmingyuan Road, Haidan District, Beijing 100193, China; Department of Development Studies, Karakoram International University (Hunza Campus), Gilgit-Baltistan, PakistanCollege of Humanities and Development Studies (COHD), China Agricultural University, No. 2 West Yuanmingyuan Road, Haidan District, Beijing 100193, China; Corresponding author.Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Society, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Development Studies, Karakoram International University (Hunza Campus), Gilgit-Baltistan, PakistanSchool of Public Policy and Urban Affairs, Northeastern University Boston, Boston, MA, USALocal knowledge on climate change is important for designing efficient and effective context-specific adaptation policies. However, there is lack of empirical evidence on the local manifestations of climate change in the high-altitude areas of Pakistan. To fill this gap, this study examines the local knowledge-based perceptions of smallholders on climate change, highlighting transformations of farming system. To achieve study objective, data were collected through 430 structured household surveys, 27 key informant interviews and 4 focus group discussions. Data were analyzed on Microsoft Excel and SPSS using univariate and bivariate techniques. Results of univariate analysis discovered that the majority of respondents have perceived substantial climatic changes such as reduction in snowfall, increase in temperature and unpredictable precipitation. To overcome these variations, smallholders have implemented transformative strategies like use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides and a shift from traditional crop farming to horticultural production. Moreover, bivariate results show a significant positive relationship between education and climate change perception of respondents; signifying individuals with higher levels of education tend to have better perceptions. The study underlines the significance of developing context-specific adaptation policies and strategies by integrating local insights, thereby enhancing the resilience and adaptive capacity of smallholders in high mountain regions of Pakistan.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405880725000421Climate ChangeTransformationPerceptionSmallholdersHigh AltitudeFarming |
| spellingShingle | Iftikhar Ali Ashfaq Ahmad Shah Bader Alhafi Alotaibi Amjad Ali Mohsin Khan Smallholder perceptions of climate change in high-altitude farming: the influence of household characteristics and local knowledge on adaptation strategies in Nagar District, Pakistan Climate Services Climate Change Transformation Perception Smallholders High Altitude Farming |
| title | Smallholder perceptions of climate change in high-altitude farming: the influence of household characteristics and local knowledge on adaptation strategies in Nagar District, Pakistan |
| title_full | Smallholder perceptions of climate change in high-altitude farming: the influence of household characteristics and local knowledge on adaptation strategies in Nagar District, Pakistan |
| title_fullStr | Smallholder perceptions of climate change in high-altitude farming: the influence of household characteristics and local knowledge on adaptation strategies in Nagar District, Pakistan |
| title_full_unstemmed | Smallholder perceptions of climate change in high-altitude farming: the influence of household characteristics and local knowledge on adaptation strategies in Nagar District, Pakistan |
| title_short | Smallholder perceptions of climate change in high-altitude farming: the influence of household characteristics and local knowledge on adaptation strategies in Nagar District, Pakistan |
| title_sort | smallholder perceptions of climate change in high altitude farming the influence of household characteristics and local knowledge on adaptation strategies in nagar district pakistan |
| topic | Climate Change Transformation Perception Smallholders High Altitude Farming |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405880725000421 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT iftikharali smallholderperceptionsofclimatechangeinhighaltitudefarmingtheinfluenceofhouseholdcharacteristicsandlocalknowledgeonadaptationstrategiesinnagardistrictpakistan AT ashfaqahmadshah smallholderperceptionsofclimatechangeinhighaltitudefarmingtheinfluenceofhouseholdcharacteristicsandlocalknowledgeonadaptationstrategiesinnagardistrictpakistan AT baderalhafialotaibi smallholderperceptionsofclimatechangeinhighaltitudefarmingtheinfluenceofhouseholdcharacteristicsandlocalknowledgeonadaptationstrategiesinnagardistrictpakistan AT amjadali smallholderperceptionsofclimatechangeinhighaltitudefarmingtheinfluenceofhouseholdcharacteristicsandlocalknowledgeonadaptationstrategiesinnagardistrictpakistan AT mohsinkhan smallholderperceptionsofclimatechangeinhighaltitudefarmingtheinfluenceofhouseholdcharacteristicsandlocalknowledgeonadaptationstrategiesinnagardistrictpakistan |