Eleventh International Conference on Climate Change: Impacts & Responses

Abstract

This study examined the factors influencing rural rice-farmers’ choice of adaptation strategies for slow-onset hazard brought about by saltwater intrusion in rice-farms in a community in Northern Mindanao, Philippines. Specifically, this study determined the influence of social, economic and institutional factors as well as farmers’ perception and level of awareness on climate related events on the choice of adaptation strategies to address saltwater intrusion. The study classified adaptation strategies into specific categories and developed a multi-criteria assessment tool on adaptation measures based on stakeholder analysis and expert judgement. This led to the development of a measure-based adaptation index (MAI) which addressed a number of shortcomings of previous studies and captured the variation in adaptation measures implemented by the rice farmers in terms of the number of adaptation strategies implemented by the rice-farmers, feasibility of implementing the strategies and the extent to which they are applied. Two econometric approaches were applied to determine the factors influencing rice-farmers’ choice of adaptation strategies. The results indicated that adaptation takes place at different levels based on the propensity to adapt, the variety and diversity of adoption of various strategies, and the feasibility of the various strategies. The results also underscored that socio-economic and institutional factors significantly influence rice-farmers’ choice of adaptation strategies to saltwater intrusion. The study is suggestive of important innovative interventions and policy implications crucial in the optimization of the adaptation strategies employed.