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Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies
2(4): 1-7, 2018; Article no.AJESS.43953
ISSN: 2581-6268
Level of Awareness of Haor Farmers in Combating
Climate Change Hazards for Boro Rice Production
M. H. Uddin
1*
, M. A. Islam
1
, M. R. Amin
1
and S. D. Baishakhy
1
1
Department of Agricultural Extension Education, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet-3100,
Bangladesh.
Authors’ contributions
This work was carried out in collaboration among all the authors. In particular, author MAI designed
and supervised the whole study while author MRA played major role in data interpretations and
discussions. Author SDB managed the literature searches and played efficient role in data analysis
and interpretation. Author MHU collected necessary data, performed statistical analysis, wrote the
protocol and first draft of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Article Information
DOI: 10.9734/AJESS/2018/43953
Editor(s):
(1)
Dr. Ana Sofia Pedrosa Gomes dos Santos, Assistant Professor, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de
Lisboa, Portugal.
(2)
Dr. Roxana Plesa, Professor, Univ ersity of Petrosani, Romania.
Reviewers:
(1)
Dickson Adom, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana.
(2)
Hussin Jose Hejase, Al Maaref University, Lebanon.
(3)
E. Obute Justina, Federal College of Agriculture, Nigeria.
Complete Peer review History:
http://www.sciencedomain.org/review-history/26360
Received 06 July 2018
Accepted 16 September 2018
Published 25 September 2018
ABSTRACT
Farmers’ awareness about the hazards derived from climate change on boro rice production has
been a central issue to reduce their crop loss in a sustainable way. In this study, farmers’
awareness was measured on the basis of twelve adverse effects of climate change on boro rice
production using a four point rating scale. Necessary data were collected through personal interview
using a mixed method research design from 100 randomly selected haor farmers of four villages of
Tahirpur and Bishwambarpur upazila under Sunamganj district during 20 March to 10 May, 2018.
The findings revealed that an overwhelming majority (75 percent) of the haor farmers had conscious
to stable awareness while 25 percent were unconsciously aware of the effects of climate change.
On the other hand, results of correlation analysis indicated that some characteristics of haor farmers
like age and family size had negative and statistically significant relationship while their education
level, farm size, annual family income, communication exposure, agricultural training experience,
perception on climate change had a positive and statistically significant relationship with their
Original Research Article
Uddin et al.; AJESS, 2(4): 1-7, 2018; Article no.AJESS.43953
2
awareness about the effects of climate change on boro rice production. The highest awareness level
was reported against the effect of flash flood in haor areas while the haor farmers had lowest
awareness on crop damage due to the excessive cloudy sky. The findings of this result can be
utilized to develop a suitable policy for uplifting of socio-economic status of the haor farmers and
also guide to develop suitable strategies to secure boro rice production.
Keywords: Haor farmer; awareness; boro rice; flash flood; climate change.
1. INTRODUCTION
Climate change is a burning issue for the whole
world, especially low–lying and developing
countries [1]. According to global climatic risk
index 2013, Bangladesh holds the 4
th
position
due to geographical location along with various
hydrological factors [2]. Bangladesh is the most
vulnerable area to several natural disasters and
every year natural calamities upset people’s lives
in some parts of the country. The major disasters
concerned here are the occurrences of flood,
cyclone and storm surge, flash flood, drought,
tornado, riverbank erosion and land slide [3].
Flood is one of the consequences of climate
change whose occurs almost regularly in
Bangladesh [4].
Flash floods that rise and falls quite rapidly with
little or no advance warning, usually resulting
from the intense rainfall over a relatively small
area during the March-May season in the
northeast part of Bangladesh has been a major
problem of the country. The severity of flash
flood depends on time and quantity of rainfall in
the hill and drain out capacity of main rivers [5]
while severe and prolonged flash flood was
recorded in 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2010 in haor
area during April [6]. Recent year’s unpredictable
trend of flash flood in haor area is one of the
major threats of boro rice production loss [7,8].
In most cases, Flash flood water comes into the
haor very early in the monsoon and farmers do
not get sufficient time to harvest the standing
boro rice [9]. The present rice production is not
enough to feed the nation and 1.5 million tons
annual shortage of food grain exist under current
situation [10]. Over the next 20 years, rice yield,
therefore, need to be increased from the present
2.74 to 3.74 t/ha to feed the ever-growing
population [11].
There is still a minority of the population of the
world who are not aware about the effect of
climate change. Most of the people only
understand climate change as the mean
variations in weather patterns while the majority
of people around the world are not able to
differentiate between climate change and global
warming; hence the need to create awareness
on climate change especially through education
and provision of Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) facilities [12,13,14].
Bangladesh is one of the most disaster-prone
countries where the incidence of flood has
significantly increased in haor area. In this
situation, different Government and non-
government organizations are working in Haor
areas for a long time to uplift the livelihood of
haor inhabitants and increase their awareness
level regarding the effect of climate change on
boro rice production. This paper examines the
haor farmers’ level of awareness about the
effects of climate change on boro rice production.
Finally, the paper suggests some of the key
recommendations that would ensure an increase
in haor farmers’ level of awareness on climatic
effects on boro rice production and to develop
agricultural sector in haor area.
2. MATERIAL AND METHODS
2.1 Sampling Method and Data
Collection
The study was conducted in four villages of
Tahirpur and Bishwambarpur upazila under
Sunamganj district of Bangladesh. Data were
collected from 100 haor farmers that were
selected randomly from each of the four
communities thus forming the target sample
population. Necessary data were collected
personally by the researcher through face to face
interview during the period extending from 20
March to 10 May, 2018 using a mixed method
research design. Twelve statements regarding
effects of climate change on boro rice production
were selected through KII and the statements
were namely: i) Empty grain of rice increased
due to fluctuation of day-night temperature ii) Soil
fertility decreased iii) Attack of new insects and
pest in rice field iv) Change in seedling showing
time v) Requirement of relatively large amount of
fertilizers and pesticides vi) Lengthening of
vegetative growth stage of boro rice due to heavy
Uddin et al.; AJESS, 2(4): 1-7, 2018; Article no.AJESS.43953
3
rainfall vii) Loss of matured rice grain due to
strong wind and heavy rainfall viii) Decreased
boro rice production due to excessive cloudy sky
ix) Huge loss of boro rice yield due to sudden
flash flood attack x) Quick spreading of flash
flooding water xi) Relatively longer waterlogged
condition by flash flood and xii) Cultivation of rabi
crops to compensate boro rice production loss
due to flash flood hazard were taken as the
bases to determine haor farmers awareness
about the effects of climate change on boro rice
production.
The awareness level of the respondents was
computed by using an Awareness Index (AI)
formula while the scale was 0 indicating not
aware, 1 for unconsciously aware, 2 for
consciously aware, 3 for stable aware. The AI
formula was as follow:
AI = A
NO
W
0
+ A
UN
W
1
+ A
CO
W
2
+ A
STB
W
3
Where,
AI = Awareness Index
A
NO
= Frequency of respondents that have no
awareness
A
UN
= Frequency of respondents that have
unconscious awareness
A
CO
= Frequency of respondents that have
conscious awareness
A
STB
= Frequency of respondents that have
stable awareness
W
0
, W
1
, W
2
, and W
3
are the weights for each of
the scoring categories. The weights against each
response of a respondent were added together
to obtain his/her level of awareness score. Thus,
the level of awareness score of an individual
haor farmers could range from 0 to 300, where 0
indicating ‘not aware’ and 300 indicating ‘stable
aware' about the effect of climate change on
boro rice production. Collected data were
analysed using SPSS software to derive
necessary results through descriptive statistics
and results were shown in the form of probability
distribution tables and rank order table.
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
3.1 Level of Awareness of the Haor
Farmers
The awareness level of haor farmers’ ranged
from 19 to 36 against the possible range of 0 to
36 while the mean value was 28.22 and the
standard deviation was 4.69. Based on the mean
± sd as observed, the haor farmers were
classified into four categories as Not aware (0
score), Unconsciously aware (1-24), Consciously
awareness (25 – 32) and Stable aware (above
32).
The findings are presented in Table 1.
The findings revealed that the highest portions of
the haor farmers (75%) were observed to have
conscious to stable awareness and 25 percent
had unconscious level of awareness about the
effects of climate change on boro rice production.
The farmers of the haor area are always
struggling against the crop loss due to different
climate change related hazards. As the farmers
are directly or indirectly connected to the boro
rice production practices from generation to
generation; majority of the haor farmers were
consciously aware about the effects of climate
change on their boro rice production. Kuri [15]
also found that a vast majority (88.8 percent) of
the farmers were moderately aware regarding
the effects of climate change on crop production.
3.2 Awareness of Haor Farmers Based
on Selected Statements about the
Effects of Climate Change on Boro
Rice Production
Awareness level of the haor farmers regarding
twelve selected statements about the effects of
climate change on boro rice production was
determined by using the Awareness Index
formula and obtained awareness index score
against each of the statements as shown in
Table 2.
Table 1. Distribution of the haor farmers depending on their level of awareness
Categories (score)
Number
Percent
Mean
Standard deviation
Not aware (0 score) 0 0
28.22
4.69
Unconsciously aware ( 1 -24 ) 25 25.0
Consciously aware (25 – 32 ) 53 53.0
Stable aware (above 32) 22 22.0
Total 100 100.0
Uddin et al.; AJESS, 2(4): 1-7, 2018; Article no.AJESS.43953
4
It is manifested from Table 2 that haor farmers
had highest awareness index score on “Huge
loss of boro rice yield due to sudden flash flood
attack” and lowest awareness regarding
“Decreased boro rice production due to the
excessive cloudy sky”. As flash flood occurs
almost every year during the March-May season
in the haor area, it is a big threat to the
livelihoods of the haor people; especially
landless haor farmers. In recent times, flash flood
causes more damages than the past. When flash
flood occur due to sudden heavy upstream
rainfall creates pressure on the local hydrological
systems, water easily overtops and creates
breaching at several locations on the
submersible embankment, eventually water
quickly enters into the haor very early in the
monsoon and farmers do not get sufficient time
to harvest the standing boro rice.
In this situation haor farmers directly see the
effects of climate change on boro rice production.
For this reason, most of the haor farmers were
consciously aware of the effects of flash flood on
boro rice production. On the other hand haor
farmers could not find proper facilities for
education and communication that’s why they
have no clear perception about other effects of
climate change on boro rice production; so haor
farmers were not properly aware of other climatic
changes.
3.3 Relationship between Selected
Characteristics of the Haor Farmers
and Their Awareness on Boro Rice
Production against Effects of Climate
Change
To explore the relationships between the
selected characteristics of the haor farmers with
their level of awareness; Pearson’s Product
Moment Correlation Co-efficient ‘r’ has been
used to find out the results of the correlation
analysis. The correlation result is shown in
Table 3.
From the observations, it was revealed that haor
farmer’s age and family size had a negative and
statistically significant relationship while their
level of education, farm size, annual family
income, communication exposure, agricultural
training experience and perception on climate
change had a positive and statistically significant
relationship with their awareness about boro rice
production against effects of climate change. As
there was a negatively significant relationship
between age of the farmers and their
awareness regarding the effect of climate change
on boro rice production (-0.617
**
); that means
farmers extent of awareness is somewhat
affected by their age. Young age farmers were
more aware than the old age framers. Because
young age farmers use different modern
technologies such as mobile phone, computer,
internet etc. that’s why those farmers acquire
more information from different sources and
finally they have clear idea about the effects of
climate changes on boro rice production. Kuri
[15] also found a negative and statistically
significant relationship between age of the
farmers and their awareness.
Here it was found that there was a positive
significant relationship (r =0.773
**
) between
farmer’s education and their awareness
regarding effect of climate change on boro rice
production. It seemed that educated farmers had
more knowledge and had a greater ability to
understand and greater access to information
than others, which might increase awareness
level. Kuri [15] also found that significant
relationship between education of the farmers
and their awareness.
According to observations, it was found that
family size had a negatively significant
relationship (r =-0.371
**
) with their awareness
regarding effects of climate change on boro rice
production. If the family size is small then most of
the small family members receive better
education and communication facilities to lead
their life. For this reason, family members
become educated and can acquire more
knowledge form different sources. Finally those
families become more aware of the effects of
climate change on boro rice production. Varkuti
et al. [16] also found that negatively significant
relationship between family size of the farmers
and their awareness.
Also, respondents' farm size had a positive
significant relationship (r =0.332
**
) with their
awareness about the effects of climate
change on boro rice production. That means
a farmer with large farm size usually is
more aware than the small farm size farmer.
The farmers having large farm size are more
aware of the effects of climate change on
boro rice production for recovering their big loss
for climate change related hazards. Sutradhor
[17] also found that a significant relationship
between farm size of the farmers and their
awareness.
Uddin et al.; AJESS, 2(4): 1-7, 2018; Article no.AJESS.43953
5
Table 2. Rank order distribution of selected statements about the effects of climate change on boro rice production
Selected Statements about the effects of climate change on boro rice production
Awareness index score
Rank
i)Empty grain of rice increased due to fluctuation of day-night temperature 145 10
th
ii) Soil fertility decreased 203 5
th
iii) Attack of new insects and pest in rice field 197 7
th
iv) Change in seedling showing time 146 9
th
v) Requirement of relatively large amount of fertilizers and pesticides 199 6
th
vi) Lengthening of vegetative growth stage of boro rice due to heavy rainfall 125 11
th
vii) Loss of matured rice grain due to strong wind and heavy rainfall 186 8
th
viii) Decreased boro rice production due to excessive cloudy sky 105 12
th
ix) Huge loss of boro rice yield due to sudden flash flood attack 266 1
st
x) Quick spreading of flash flooding water 244 3
rd
xi) Relatively longer water logged condition by flash flood water 249 2
nd
xii) Cultivation of rabi crops to compensate boro rice production loss due to flash flood hazard 243 4
th
Table 3. Correlation co-efficient between the selected characteristics of the haor farmers and their awareness level against the effects of climate
change on boro rice production
Characteristics of the Haor farmers
Correlation co-efficient (r) values with
awareness
Tabulated value of ‘r’
Remarks
0.05 level
0.01 level
Age -0.617
**
0.197
0.257
Negatively significant at 0.01 level
Level of education 0.773
**
Positively significant at 0.01 level
Family size -0.371
**
Negatively significant at 0.01 level
Farm size
0.332
**
Positively significant at 0.01 level
Annual family income 0.306
**
Positively significant at 0.01 level
Communication exposure 0.726
**
Positively significant at 0.01 level
Agricultural training experience 0.554
**
Positively significant at 0.01 level
Perception on climate change 0.682
**
Positively significant at 0.01 level
** Significant at p<0.01 level of probability, * Significant at p<0.05 level of probability
Uddin et al.; AJESS, 2(4): 1-7, 2018; Article no.AJESS.43953
6
Respondents’ annual family income had a
positive significant relationship (r =0.306
**
) with
their awareness about the effects of climate
change on boro rice production. It was concluded
that a farmer with enough income has the ability
to use better technologies than the others in the
community. For this reason, those farmers are
more aware of the effects of climate change on
boro rice production and finally they gain very
stable awareness on different boro rice
production practices.
It was also found that respondents
communication exposure had a positive
significant relationship (r =0.726
**
) with their
awareness about the effects of climate change
on boro rice production. That means farmers
having more communication exposure are more
aware of the effects of climate change on boro
rice production. Communication exposure helps
the farmers in gathering more knowledge about
various modern farming practices. It might be
concluded that communication with extension
media enhances farmers' knowledge, attitudes,
and perception of climate change which
increases their awareness level against effects of
climate change on boro rice production.
From the observations, it was revealed that
agricultural training experience had a positive
significant relationship (r =0.554
**
) with their
awareness about the effects of climate change
on boro rice production. That means the farmers
having more training are somewhat more aware
than the low trained farmers. After being trained
the farmers become more aware about various
modern farming practices to cope with effect of
climate change. Thus making the farmers more
aware of doing something better and sometimes
new technologies were accepted very quickly by
trained farmers compared to non-trained farmers.
Kuri [15] also found that significant relationship
between training experience of the farmers and
their awareness.
In addition to that, the perception on climate
change had a positive significant relationship (r
=0.682
**
) with farmers awareness about the
effects of climate change on boro rice production.
It was found that the farmers having more
perception on climate change are more aware
about the effects of climate change on boro rice
production than others. Most of the haor farmers
try to clearly understand about perception on
climate change because they suffered greatly
and regularly during the year from different
effects of climate change on boro rice production.
The farmers who perceive the events of climate
change properly are more aware about boro rice
production practices against climate change
related hazards. Kuri [15] also found that
significant relationship between perception on
the climate change of the farmers and their
awareness.
From the findings above, it can be concluded that
farmer’s age, level of education, family size, farm
size, annual family income, communication
exposure, agricultural training experience and
perception on climate change play an important
role to increase the awareness of haor farmers
about the effects of climate change related
hazards on boro rice production.
4. CONCLUSION
The haor farmers were consciously aware
regarding the effects of climate change on boro
rice production while majority of the haor farmers
(75 percent) had conscious to stable aware.
Thus, it could be concluded that there is a need
to implement appropriate development programs
that could trigger their literacy level, would
provide more ICT facilities and avail more
information sources at community level and that
could be helpful for generating stable awareness
among the haor farmers regarding different
effects of climate change on their boro rice
production. To attain full self-sufficiency in rice
grain production, it is essential to increase the
haor farmers’ stable awareness about the effects
of climate change related hazards. Mass media
can play a great role in providing necessary
information about crop production practices in
response to the effect of climate change.
Different income generating opportunities like
establishment of agro-processed industry and
small cottage industry should be established for
increasing the farmers' income. Thus, farmers
can save more money, enlarge farm size and
ultimately can be economically solvent and finally
can increase their awareness level regarding
effect of climate change on crop production.
Therefore, it may be concluded that attainment of
highest possible yields in boro rice and thereby
maximizing farmers profit may be achieved only
when the haor farmers have stable awareness
about the climatic change related hazards on
their boro rice production; Thus they can apply
the appropriate knowledge in their field condition
to secure the maximum boro rice production.
COMPETING INTERESTS
Authors have declared that no competing
interests exist.
Uddin et al.; AJESS, 2(4): 1-7, 2018; Article no.AJESS.43953
7
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________________________________________________________________________________
© 2018 Uddin et al.; This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is properly cited.
Peer-review history:
The peer review history for this paper can be accessed here:
http://www.sciencedomain.org/review-history/26360
