Farmers' Strategies in the Face of Droughts and Examination of the Factors Affecting Those Strategies: A Case Study of Roshtkhar County

Abstract

In recent years, repeated droughts have had negative impacts on agricultural products. Farmers can reduce the effects of droughts by using adaptive strategies. The aim of this study was to investigate farmers' strategies in response to drought consequences and to examine the factors affecting the use of these strategies. In terms of purpose, the study is an applied one, and the method is descriptive-analytical. The data gathering tool was a questionnaire and interviews. The statistical population of the research consisted of the rural households in Roshtkhar County (N = 13716). Using the Cochran formula, 373 farmers were selected as the sample. For data analysis, the unlimited exploratory uncertainty test and the binary logistic model (LM-Newton-Marcard-Raphson method) were used. The results showed that decreased water resources (0.882), reduced crop area (0.735) and increased living expenses (0.698) were the most important consequences of drought. Drought-tolerant plants such as saffron, irrigation, and non-agricultural jobs were the most important strategies adopted by the farmers in response to drought consequences. Variables such as age, sex, indigenous knowledge, labor force, income, farmers’ experience, and farm size were significantly associated with the application of strategies. The results of the research can be used for more adaptation of farmers to drought consequences in the villages of the county.

Keywords

• Climate change
• Drought
• Agriculture
• Adaptation strategies
• Roshtkhar County