| Abstract | Among all of the natural hazards, drought is one of the significant risks for the people's livelihoods and socio-economic progress. It is most recently realized that drought is the most complex and a common climatic hazard which more effects on people particularly the farmers and their livelihoods than any other hazards. The first impact of the drought is on agriculture, and its threats both agriculture and non-agriculture sectors which are dependent on the drought-affected area. The two districts (Paghman and Deh Sabz) from Kabul province of Afghanistan which are chosen as the study area are the drought-prone area. The farmers have been suffering from drought during the recent years, and it is a long time that the farmers have experienced the drought and its negative consequences on their farming and livelihoods. They also have a good perception of drought and its impacts on their agro-based livelihood. Thus, they have applied some adaptation strategies to reduce the drought impacts on farming and livelihood at their area based on their previous experiences.
This study has attempted to focus on farmers' adaptation strategies to drought in order to find out that which farmers' strategies or techniques can be adapted to reduce the impacts of drought on their agricultural productions and livelihoods. Furthermore, this study has assessed the farmers' perception and understanding against to the drought and its impacts on agriculture and farmer livelihoods. Thus, in the two districts (Paghman and Deh Sabz) from Kabul province of Afghanistan which are defined as the target area of this study, and also these are the drought-affected area. Therefore, the farmers have experienced and adapted some strategies to reduce the impacts of drought from their fields.
Micro-level analysis has determined that farmers are well aware of the drought issues. The farmers' perception and their understanding of the drought belong to their experience. Besides, the rainfall is deficient due to drought and drop of the water resources levels which also has impacted on the agricultural productions in the study area. The agricultural productions such as crops, livestock, vegetables, and fruits have declined. Thus, the farmers have lost their agricultural productions due to impacts of drought, and their livelihoods (income, household consumptions, labor, and rural community) have been affected as well.
The farmers' adaption strategies are the on-farm and off-farm adaptation strategies that they can reduce the impacts of drought upon their farming and livelihoods. The primary on-farm adaptation strategies are delaying of plantation date, changing the cropping system, using mulch, applying the dripping system of irrigation. On the other hand, the primary off-farm strategies are income diversification, business/trade, migration, non-agricultural labor, and selling assets.
The findings and results of this study are consistent with existing literature on drought in Afghanistan and other regions and will be useful and useful for application of adaptation strategies into drought, understanding the drought impacts on agricultural productions, and farmer's livelihoods. Because of no done any researches about to drought in the study area, this thesis will assist the regional and rural planners, officials, rural related sectors, and other departments that they formulate the development plans, extending useful policies and services. Thus, the farmers can cope with drought with using the useful adaptation strategies and sustain their livelihoods. |