Climate change perceptions of shifting cultivators vis-a-vis meteorological observations influencing their adaptation decisions in the north-eastern region of India

Abstract

Abstract Climate change has become a reality and the agriculture sector is directly confronted by its ill effects. The poor dwellers of hilly tracts of the north-eastern region of India are totally dependent on rainfed agriculture practicing shifting cultivation, the most primitive way of crop cultivation in the history of humankind which is still practiced by 240 million indigenous people of the world. The present study is aimed to integrate local perspectives on the global phenomenon of climate change as we compare shifting cultivators’ (n = 600) climate change perceptions with meteorological data for a holistic understanding of adaptation decisions in shifting cultivation. Climatic trends are analyzed from the precipitation and temperature data of the India Meteorological Department. Study results show that shifting cultivators’ climate change perceptions align well with climatic trends for temperature-related events though some inconsistencies exist for precipitation events. Further, the significance and strength of the association between shifting cultivators’ climate change perceptions and their adaptation decisions are statistically tested by Chi-square and Cramer’s V respectively. Results reveal that three-fourths (~ 76%) of the respondents made alterations in the shifting cultivation calendar as an adaptation strategy to climate change. Adaptation decisions pertaining to the sowing and post-sowing activities (weed control, crop protection, and harvesting) are more strongly associated with climate change perception compared to pre-sowing activities (selection and clearing of forested hilly lands). This study identifies the appropriateness of the climate change perceptions of shifting cultivators and recommends their inclusion for the effective formulation of policies regarding climate risk management.