Jul 2026· Environmental Research Communications· Vol 8, pp. 085039· 0 citations· 91 references
Physics
Abstract
Subsistence agriculture is highly vulnerable to climate change, and its resilience is constrained by local conditions and networks, negatively impacting livelihoods, food security, and local culture. In the Biobío region of Chile, subsistence farming is crucial for food security; however, it is expected to be significantly affected by climate change and requires a territorial instrument that systematizes agricultural, environmental, and social information for management and decision-making. This study evaluates the vulnerability and resilience of subsistence agriculture at the municipal level using composite indices. The vulnerability index was developed following the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change framework, integrating indicators of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. The resilience index considered territorial multifunctionality, institutional interaction, and local territorial management and response capacity. Data were sourced from official records and scientific literature on climate, agricultural production, and territorial characteristics. Nineteen indicators were standardized on a scale ranging from 0 to 1, where higher values represented greater vulnerability or resilience, depending on the index considered. The indices were applied to evaluate 33 municipalities in the Biobío region, and the results were spatially represented. The Biobío region exhibited medium levels of vulnerability (0.594) and resilience (0.418). Coastal municipalities showed the highest vulnerability due to their reliance on rainfed agriculture, low crop diversification, and severe soil erosion. In contrast, mountain municipalities, such as Alto Biobío, exhibited higher resilience, reflecting comparatively greater territorial resilience capacities associated with diversified production systems, irrigation infrastructure, crop rotation practices, and stronger institutional linkages. The resulting indices offer a replicable and integrative methodological framework. Our findings highlight the need for targeted public policies on soil restoration, irrigation modernization, crop diversification, and strengthening local networks to enhance resilience. This approach provides a strategic tool for climate risk planning in rural agricultural territories.
Climate variability is reshaping coastal livelihoods and raising concerns about the stability of marine-based food systems. Small-scale fisheries are particularly vulnerable due to their dependence on climate-sensitive resources and limited adaptive capacity. This study examines how climate stress influences livelihood vulnerability and the resilience of coastal blue food systems in coastal Maharashtra, India. The analysis combines secondary data from meteorological and fisheries sources with primary insights from fishing households. A livelihood vulnerability framework grounded in the sustainable livelihoods approach is applied and principal component analysis is used to construct composite indices of sensitivity and adaptive capacity across coastal districts. The results show that while sensitivity to climate stress is broadly similar across districts, adaptive capacity varies substantially due to differences in human capital, infrastructure and financial resources. Districts with lower asset bases exhibit higher livelihood vulnerability despite facing comparable climatic pressures. Primary survey responses support these findings highlighting declining fish availability, rising operational uncertainty and growing income instability among fishing households. These patterns indicate that climate stress affects not only livelihoods but also the functioning of local blue food systems by influencing production stability and household coping strategies. The study underscores the importance of strengthening adaptive capacity through investments in education, fisheries infrastructure, and access to financial and institutional support. By linking livelihood vulnerability with food system resilience, this paper provides empirical evidence on how climate stress translates into uneven socioeconomic outcomes in coastal fisheries and offers insights for targeted adaptation policy.
Climate change causes significant losses to farmers worldwide in terms of yield, incomes, and livelihoods. The losses are colossal in mountainous regions, such as the western Himalayas. Particularly, rainfed,cereal-based agricultural systems of Jammu and Kashmir are vulnerable due to a combination of climatic and non-climatic challenges that farmers face in coping with the impacts of climate change. This study examines the institutional framework that shapes climate adaptation in Jammu and Kashmir by analyzing policy documents, sectoral reports, hydrometeorological datasets, and peer-reviewed literature. An integrated conceptual framework is employed to evaluate climate governance mechanisms, institutional effectiveness, adaptation processes, and resultant resilience outcomes. Findings reveal a fragmented governance system characterized by limited coordination, weak technical capacity, inconsistent climate information flow, and insufficient local participation, all of which constrain sustainable agricultural resilience. Farm-level adaptation practices remain predominantly incremental and socially mediated, with limited institutional support to enable more robust or transformative strategies. To address these systemic gaps, the study proposes a polycentric, science-driven climate governance framework that restructures apex-level coordination, mainstreams climate considerations across sectors, strengthens district and community-level institutions, and enhances data and knowledge systems. The proposed framework offers a practical pathway to strengthen adaptive capacity, improve resilience outcomes, and transition from reactive responses to proactive, long-term climate governance in the Himalayan agricultural context.
Binny Sharma, G. D. Rao· Public Affairs And Governanc...· 0 citations
The climate crisis poses significant challenges to agriculture, particularly in developing countries, where food security depends heavily on family farming. In Minas Gerais (MG), one of the Brazilian states with the largest areas of family farming and planted forests, the impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly evident. In this context, agroforestry systems (AFS) represent a sustainable alternative, promoting greater climate resilience. This study analysed the relationship between climate vulnerability and the adoption of AFS in Minas Gerais, considering the vulnerability components defined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Using an extensive dataset comprising socioeconomic, environmental and climatic variables, the study investigated how vulnerability and historical climatic variables influence the adoption of AFS by family farmers. The analysis was conducted using a Logit model, and the main results indicate a statistically significant correlation between climate vulnerability and the adoption of AFS, suggesting that climate vulnerability is an important factor associated with the adoption of agroforestry systems. An increase in vulnerability raised the probability of AFS adoption by 1.5%. This relationship may be explained by the greater need for adaptation in more vulnerable areas, which face more intense climatic risks. These findings provide empirical evidence on the relationship between climate vulnerability and the adoption of agroforestry systems, offering useful insights for the design of climate adaptation policies targeting family farming. These results contribute to a better understanding of the factors associated with agroforestry adoption and may support the design of policies aimed at strengthening climate adaptation among family farmers.
E. A. dos Santos, Dênis Antônio da Cunha· Agroforestry Systems· 0 citations
Under pressure from climate change, market volatility, and policy adjustments, rural livelihood systems face increasing vulnerability, which threatens poverty reduction gains. Livelihood resilience—the ability to withstand shocks, sustain livelihoods, and drive transformation—has become central to assessing sustainable rural development; however, its concepts, metrics, and links to land-use policies have not yet been systematically integrated. This review synthesizes existing research on farmers’ livelihood resilience and its relationship with land-use policy, yielding three main findings: (1) It synthesizes existing definitions and clarifies major assessment approaches based on the distinction between resilience and vulnerability. (2) Multiple drivers influencing livelihood resilience were identified, many of which can be directly or indirectly influenced, mediated, or coordinated through land-use policy and related rural governance instruments. (3) Three potential pathways linking land-use policies to buffering, adaptive, and transformative capacities were identified, with policy effects varying across households and contexts and potentially contributing to rural revitalization through changes in livelihood resources and opportunities.
Xiao-Qiao Liu, Da-Ping Liu, Xin-Yuan Li et al.· Agriculture· 0 citations
Climate change has emerged as a major challenge to agricultural sustainability and rural livelihoods, particularly in regions where farming is highly dependent on climatic conditions. The present study assessed the climate change vulnerability of farming households in four selected districts of Madhya Pradesh during 2023 using the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) vulnerability framework. A total of 240 farming households were selected through a multistage random sampling technique and interviewed using a structured schedule. Vulnerability was evaluated through three major components, namely exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. Exposure was assessed using indicators such as increase in average temperature, rainfall variability, frequency of droughts and dry spells, heat waves, and extreme weather events. Sensitivity was measured through soil moisture deficiency, crop yield reduction, water scarcity, pest and disease incidence, and decline in farm income, whereas adaptive capacity was assessed through adoption of water conservation measures, climate-resilient crop varieties, crop diversification, access to weather information and extension services, and crop insurance and government support schemes. The findings revealed considerable variation in vulnerability among the study districts. Morena recorded the highest exposure index (0.84) and sensitivity index (0.83), while exhibiting the lowest adaptive capacity (0.59), indicating greater susceptibility to climate-induced risks. In contrast, Tikamgarh (D2) showed the highest adaptive capacity (0.78) and the lowest levels of exposure (0.68) and sensitivity (0.58). The Composite Climate Change Vulnerability Index (CCVI) indicated that Morena (D3) was the most vulnerable (1.08), followed by Datia (0.90), Chhatarpur (0.73), and Tikamgarh (0.48). The higher vulnerability observed in Morena was primarily associated with greater climatic exposure, water scarcity, soil moisture stress, and limited adaptive resources. The study highlights the need to strengthen adaptive capacity through improved water conservation practices, climate-resilient technologies, crop diversification, access to extension services, weather-based advisories, and crop insurance schemes. Such interventions can enhance farmers’ resilience and reduce the adverse impacts of climate change on agricultural livelihoods.
Siddharth Namdeo· International Journal of Env...· 0 citations
Climate change poses severe threats to smallholder agricultural livelihoods in the Philippines, with the Ilocos Region among the most vulnerable to typhoons, droughts, and erratic rainfall patterns. Free-range chicken farming is a cornerstone of rural economies in Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur supporting farmers and households as a source of food security, income, and cultural heritage but remains highly exposed to climate-related risks, production inefficiencies, and market volatility. This mixed-methods study evaluates the establishment of poultry based management enterprise and potential of innovative climate- resilient strategies to transform these family enterprises, addressing critical gaps in localized research and actionable interventions. Data was collected from 80 free-range chicken farming households, 12 key informants including agricultural extension workers, local government officials, and sector experts, and 4 focus group discussions (FGDs) with farmer associations. Vulnerability assessments were conducted using an adapted framework integrating biophysical, socioeconomic, and institutional indicators. Evaluations focused on priority interventions which are the improved free-range chicken breeds, agroecological practices such as rice hull bedding, integrated pest management, and forage diversification, climate-smart infrastructure such as low-cost housing with solar-powered lights, community-based governance models for farmer cooperatives and collective market linkages, gender roles and equity considerations. Key findings reveal that while baseline vulnerability is high with 78.4% of households reporting annual losses from climate impacts and 62% struggling with low productivity context-specific adoption of innovative strategies yielded significant improvements on Rhode Island Reds and Dekalb Brown strains integration increased egg production by 38% and bird survival rates by 29%; rice hull use reduced mortality from moisture-related diseases by 22% and enhanced soil fertility for forage crops; low-cost housing with solar-powered lights cut energy costs by 45% and maintained optimal conditions during extreme weather; and cooperative models improved market access by 50% and enabled bulk purchasing of inputs. The study concludes that transforming free-range chicken enterprises requires a synergistic approach combining technology transfer, capacity building, policy support, and community ownership. Recommendations include scaling breed improvement programs, subsidizing climate-smart infrastructure, strengthening local extension systems, and establishing market linkages through farmer-led institutions. This research contributes to evidence-based climate adaptation in Philippine agriculture and provides a replicable model for smallholder livestock systems in similar tropical contexts.
Richard D. Dela Cruz· International Journal of Aqu...· 0 citations
