Knowledge and perception on climatic variability among farming communities: An assessment in Bundelkhand region, India

Agricultural communities, especially those having marginal and small landholdings, are more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Among the Southeast Asian nations, India is highly susceptible to meteorological catastrophes such as droughts and floods. This research, conducted during 2022–2023, aims to investigate farmers' perceptions of climatic hazards, their choice of adaptation techniques and the factors that influence decisions regarding adaptation measures in the Bundelkhand region. A household survey was conducted to collect primary data from 180 agricultural households across 8 blocks in the districts of Banda, Hamirpur and Mahoba in the Bundelkhand region of India. A structured questionnaire served as the instrument for data collection from the targeted farmers in the study locations. Multiple regression analysis was employed to evaluate participants' perceptions of climatic variability and to identify the drivers that influence the choice for adaptation options adopted by respondents to address climate variability. The findings indicated that farmers know that climate variability exists (96.70 %) and know that it means temperature fluctuations in all climate parameters (90.00 %). A large proportion of respondents (83.90 %) were aware that climate variability leads to an increase in vector-borne diseases in animals. Whereas 70.60 % perceive that climate change harms the preservation of milk and milk-based products and 80.56 % perceive that climate variability decreases the fertility of the livestock. Regression analysis shows the model fit (R2 = 0.817) and the variables influencing were age, education, family type, family size, occupation and experience were significantly influenced the perception of the farmers. These findings are significant as they highlight that climate adaptation strategies in semi-arid regions like Bundelkhand cannot be 'one-size-fits-all' but must be demographic-specific. To enhance resilience, policymakers should prioritise the integration of livestock health management into climate blueprints and invest in rural education to bridge the perception-adaptation gap.