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Adapting agriculture to the drought hazard in rural China: household strategies and determinants

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Abstract

This study is to identify the major methods used by local farmers to adapt to the drought hazard and to examine factors influencing their decisions to adapt in Yongqiao District, China. A random sampling technique was used to select 200 households in Yongqiao, while descriptive statistics and binary logit models were used to analyze the data obtained from the households. The results show that most farmers in the study area were aware of climate change. They were taking measures to protect their livelihoods against perceived change in climate. Results indicate that factors explaining farmers’ adaptation choices include gender, the level of education, farming experience, farm size, household income, and perceptions of climate change impacts. The findings of this study can help decision-makers to design appropriate adaptation policies to cope with and adapt in drought situation.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the Economy and Environment Program for Southeast Asia (EEPSEA) for providing the financial support to undertake this study. We greatly appreciate Prof. Jack Knetsch and Dr. Herminia Francisco for their comments and inputs. The authors also would like to thank two anonymous reviewers of the journal for their very thoughtful reviews and critical comments which have significantly improved the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Jianjun Jin.

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Jin, J., Wang, W. & Wang, X. Adapting agriculture to the drought hazard in rural China: household strategies and determinants. Nat Hazards 82, 1609–1619 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-016-2260-x

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