Measuring Adaptive Capacities of Rice Farmers

Abstract

Adaptive capacity is the capacity of a system to adapt if the environment where the system exists is changing. The assessment of farmers’ adaptability and the associated concept of farmer's adaptive capacity may constitute the first step towards enhanced adaptation. This chapter aims to fill this gap by examining the level of AC of the farmers. This chapter will help policymakers to plan responses to CC in Malaysia and understand the ability of farmers’ degree of adaptive capacities. The findings show that farmers have high adaptive capacity in terms of drought-tolerant rice varieties, changing planting dates, use of chemical or organic fertilizers, early maturity rice varieties and formal irrigation system with the range of 0.69 \(\leq\) AvAdaptCapj \(\leq\)0.83 which is under the threshold value (0.66 \(\leq\) AvAdaptCapj \(\leq\)1.00. Government, non-government organizations and policymakers should design policies to train farmers on the use of the adaption strategies to help them adapt well to the changing climatic conditions. This could be achieved through effective extension education and training on adaption strategies of the rice- growing farmers. This will help them to not only adapt but also mitigate the effects of CC on paddy or rice cultivation.