Factors influencing the adaptation towards climate change among smallholder tea farmers in Ilam, Nepal

Steffen Muench, BBA

Master's thesis

Abstract:

The government of Nepal is currently setting focus on enhancing the domestic production and export of tea. Climate change has a large impact on Nepalese agriculture, which employs 74% of Nepal’s population. The identification of factors influencing the adaptation behaviour towards climate change among tea farmers in Nepal is hence a critical aspect for the economic success of the tea export strategy. This thesis focused on the adaptation behaviour of 91 smallholder tea farmers in the Ilam district, which is one of Nepal´s main tea producing areas. 86.8% of the respondents were aware of climate change and the average number of applied adaptation strategies was three out of six proposed options. Crop diversification and soil conservation were applied by most farmers, while irrigation related strategies were used by only a few respondents. Agroforestry and climate resilient tea cultivars had a balanced share of whether being deployed as coping strategy. By applying independent sample t-tests, correlation tests as well as binary logit models, factors of influence in adaptation towards climate change were identified. While no socio-demographic variables were revealed as significant, information sources (other tea farmers, internet and extension services) as well as institutional factors (membership in cooperative and credit access) appear to positively influence the level of adaptation among the sample. The biggest perceived climate change impacts were extended drought periods and intense rainfall. The perceived main constraints to climate change adaptation are a lack of governmental support, not enough information as well as no access to credits. An improved interaction between the government and the tea farmers is thus necessary to successfully increase production and export of Nepalese tea. In addition, easier credit access and the provision of effective extension services could support the farmers to better adapt to climate change. Most participants expressed high concern towards their future as tea farmer. Therefore, the need for further researching this climate vulnerable industry is becoming inevitable.

Keywords

climate change impacts, adoption of coping strategies, constraints and concerns, Nepalese tea industry, tea export strategy

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 25. 4. 2019

Thesis defence

• Supervisor: doc. Ing. Miroslava Bavorová, Ph.D.

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences

Master programme / field:
Tropical Agriculture / International Development and Agricultural Economics