Opportunities of Utilizing Local Varieties to Mitigate The Climate Change's Effect on The Water Resources
Project no. 1008 · Status: Kapanmış · 2016
Summary
Climate change, drought and consequent reduction of water resources influence different sectors but mostly affects the agricultural sector negatively. In particular, increasing water use in agriculture and in paralel with increasing productivity is considered as one of the most powerful measures to be taken under global nutrition problem. However, due to climate change, irregular precipitation, seasonal change, gradually decreasing surface water and groundwater resources deem necessary to propose new policies regarding the protection of water resources. It is thought that the agricultural sector has significant impacts on water use and management. At this point, producers need to develop strategies for fighting climate change and adaptation when planning their agricultural production. Increased global water demand due to population growth, urbanization, nutrition and changing consumption habits requires more comprehensive solution offers. Accordingly, in this study, benefiting from the opportunities from local varieties according to reduce the climate change effects on water resources were revealed as part of farmer attitudes, behaviors, perceptions and awareness and factors affecting the decision making strategies within the framework of farmers’ adaptation to climate change were identified. In the study, two dimensions were appointed as a result of factor analysis to determine the attitude towards local varieties. Factor scores of these dimensions obtained from factor analysis were used in clustering analysis and producers were divided into three different segments according to their attitudes towards local varieties. The very first segment is a segment of sensitive producers covering 75.3% of producers that are positive for both individual and social sensitiveness, have positive attitudes toward local varieties. Sensitive producers have a high awareness of climate change. Namely, producers who have positive attitudes towards local varieties see the causes and consequences of climate change better than the other. Keywords: Local variety, drought, attitude, mitigation and adaptation to climate change