Agriculture Practices responsible for Climate change and the step taken for mitigation

Abstract

The present research was carried out in Pakistan, and it focuses on the contribution of agricultural activities to climate change and mitigation efforts, which are dependent on the socio-economic and institutional factors like climate change awareness, education level, size of landholding, farming experience, and access to information. A mixed-method was used where quantitative item responses were analyzed using t-tests, ANOVA, correlation, and chi-square statistics, whereas a thematic analysis was used to explore qualitative data in the form of narrative responses of farmers. The results show that awareness and education have significant effect in enhancing the knowledge base of the farmers on major drivers of climate change such as the utilization of chemical fertilizers, deforestation, burning of crop residues and methane emissions by livestock. The size of landowning and access to the extension services and mobile/social media are positively correlated to such perceptions. Moreover, there is a strong correlation between awareness and the practice of climate-smart agriculture (CSA), including organic composting, rotation of crops, integrated pest management (IPM) and drip irrigation. Thematic analysis reveals that the biggest challenges of farmers include economic strains, environmental depreciation, pesticide dependence, institutional failures and short-term adaptation measures. These findings support the necessity of specific training, development of infrastructure and favorable policies that would enhance climate resiliency and sustainable agriculture in the region.

Key Words: Climate, Adaptation, Mitigation, Sustainability