Climate change perceptions and adaptation practices among farmers: Evidence from Kavrepalanchok District, Nepal

This study explores farmers’ perceptions of climate change, its effects on agriculture, and adaptation responses in Kavrepalanchok, Nepal. Information was gathered through interviews, group discussions, household surveys, and meteorological records from year 1980 to 2024. Results show strong agreement between farmers’ perceptions and observed climate change trends, as supported by field surveys and meteorological analyses. The Mann–Kendall test indicates that annual temperature changes are statistically significant, while Sen’s slope estimator shows that maximum and minimum temperatures are increasing at rates of 0.055 °C/year and 0.023 °C/year, respectively, reflecting hotter summers and shorter winters. Rainfall patterns show high spatial and temporal variability, with major droughts in the 1980s and 1990s and an increase in wet extremes after 2010. Shifting in rainfall timing and intensity greatly influence crop production, water availability, and susceptibility to floods, landslides, droughts, and heatwaves. Survey results from 180 households indicate widespread recognition of increasing temperatures, shorter winters, frequent extreme events, yield declines, and rising pest and disease pressures. About 68% of households have implemented adaptation measures such as crop diversification, modified planting calendars, intercropping, tree planting, and livelihood shifts. Limited water-harvesting infrastructure weakens resilience, so improving resource management, climate-resilient technologies, and local policies is essential.