Gender perspective on climate change adaption strategies in livestock farming in Gandaki Province, Nepal.

Abstract

Background: Climate change has a significant impact on livestock farming around the globe. Farmers have adopted different strategies to mitigate the adverse impact of climate change. Females in developing countries are more vulnerable to climate change impacts and have lower adaptive capacity and they bear additional roles and responsibilities in livestock rearing compared to their male counterparts.

Aim: The main aim of this study is to examine the gender perspective on climate change adoption strategies in livestock farming in Gandaki province, Nepal.

Methods: A multistage random sampling technique was employed to select 1,158 households from five districts in Gandaki province, western Nepal. A household head or household member who was 45 years or older resided in that area for at least 15 years and owned at least one primary livestock at the time of the survey was selected as the ultimate respondent from each selected household. Both structured and unstructured questionnaires were prepared. A structured questionnaire was used for the household survey, while a checklist (guideline) was prepared for focus group discussions. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews, and both descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis.

Results: The results revealed that buffalo was the primary livestock among farmers. More than half of farmers, both men and women were aware of the impact of climate change on livestock. While this study did not find significant gender-based differences in adaptation strategies, the odds of adoption are higher among males than females. Jobs other than agriculture and livestock, as well as access to credit, emerged as key determining factors associated with adaptation strategies among farmers in Gandaki province.

Conclusion: There is no significant gender-based difference in adaptation strategies; however, employment outside agriculture and livestock, along with access to credit, are the key determining factors associated with adaptation strategies.