Assessing the Socio-Economic Impacts of Drought induced by Climate Change in District Pishin, Balochistan

Abstract

Droughts in Balochistan have adverse socio-economic impacts which exacerbate the existing inequalities and vulnerabilities of the farming communities. The aim of this paper is to assess the socio-economic impacts of drought, using the data of 377 households through questionnaire survey by employing stratified random sampling. The paper utilized paired sample T-test in order to examine the before-after situation of the study area in the context of drought. The results reveal that the major fruits tress in area were severely affected and reduced in number accordingly. The results further highlighted that most of the tress were dryer and their production was also reduced. Further, it also affected the livestock, people’s education, occupation and community copy strategies during drought periods. The paper recommends the awareness of farming communities regarding climate change, their preparedness and provision of community safety nets to deal future drought disaster in the area. The paper also recommends the strengthening of agriculture extension offices, by sharing the climatic data to the farmers and communities. 

Keywords:        Socio-economic Impacts, Climate Change, Balochistan, Drought