Agricultural Climate Change Adaptation in Kebumen, Central Java, Indonesia

Andung Bayu Sekaranom, Emilya Nurjani and Fitria Nucifera
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Andung Bayu Sekaranom: Department of Environmental Geography, Faculty of Geography, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia
Emilya Nurjani: Department of Environmental Geography, Faculty of Geography, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia
Fitria Nucifera: Department of Geography, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Amikom, Yogyakarta 55283, Indonesia

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 13, 1-16

Abstract: Productive agricultural areas in Kebumen, Central Java, Indonesia are potentially vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change. We surveyed small-scale farmers to assess climate change-related perceptions and adaptations in the agriculture sector. The majority of the respondents agreed that there were changes in climatological variables affecting their farming activities, especially in terms of precipitation and temperature. However, the results also revealed that only 13% of respondents believed that human activities play a significant role. Three forms of adaptations have been developed by the farmers, namely: (1) agricultural diversification, (2) agricultural intensification, and (3) socioeconomic adaptation. Changing crops to more climate-tolerant varieties was one of the most common agricultural diversification practices (implemented by 88% of farmers). Most of the farmers also tried to maintain agricultural productivity by adjusting a local planting calendar (implemented by 94% of farmers). The use of machinery to intensify farming practice was an uncommon strategy (implemented by only 30% of farmers) because of expensive maintenance and small cultivation areas. The results suggested the importance of increasing farmers’ knowledge and technological know-how related to climate change and its implications, developing effective adaptation and mitigation efforts, and constructing climate-resilient infrastructure in the agricultural sector.

Keywords: adaptation strategies; agriculture sector; climate change; farmers’ responses (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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