Eleventh International Conference on Climate Change: Impacts & Responses

Abstract

Twenty villages from 5 districts in rain-fed areas of the upper Brahmaputra valley zone (UBVZ) of India were chosen to examine climate trends (rainfall and temperature) using the Mann-Kendall test and Thiel-Sen’s slope estimation techniques. The annual mean temperature in the UBVZ increased by 0.15oC/ decade. A decreasing trend in rainfall was observed in winters (DJF) and summers (JJA) during 1971-2007. Multiple logistic regression was used for modelling perceptions and adaptation behavior of the farmers. Farmers perceptions of climate change tended to closely approximate those estimated from the climate data. Farmers with better access to water resources, credit, and those with higher family income, higher production, and larger farm sizes had more options to adapt and were more likely to adopt techniques to cope with climate change and variability.