Solutions to Reduce the Vulnerability of Farmers and Beneficiaries of Agricultural Sector to Climate Change

Climate change in the Middle East and Iran, as well as the decline in agricultural products and croplands in Iran over the past 10 years, has attracted the attention of many researchers. Numerous researches have considered economic, environmental, psychological‐social, and technical‐agricultural damages as a result of climate change in the agricultural sector. Solutions to reduce the vulnerability of farmers and beneficiaries to climate change in Khuzestan province will be discussed. The present study was performed in three stages of qualitative study and one stage of quantitative study. The statistical population of the qualitative section consisted of 83 highly experienced farmers and those suffering from climate change, 18 exemplary farmers introduced by the Jihad Agricultural Organization of Khuzestan province, 33 Ph.D. and 237 master students in agriculture from various universities in the province as well as 100 agricultural experts from the Agricultural Jihad Organization. The research variables were also categorized into six solutions and three barriers (challenges) in the third stage of the qualitative investigation, and introduced for a quantitative stage. The fourth stage of the study was a quantitative stage in which the statistical population consisted of 384 farmers and farming beneficiaries in Khuzestan province. The tool for data collection in the quantitative stage of the questionnaire was based on a Likert scale. As well, the sample in the quantitative and qualitative stages was selected via the convenience method. Economic losses have been affected by various such solutions as economic‐financial support by the government, as well as training‐promotional, technical‐agricultural, and social issues. Also, environmental damages have been affected by economic‐financial as well as supportive solutions by the government, training‐ promotional and institutional‐infrastructure issues, and finally, psychological‐social ills and technical‐agricultural damages have been affected by managerial and technical‐agricultural solutions, respectively. The solutions stated in the practical dimension face barriers or challenges.