Determinants of Adaptation Strategies to Climate Change Impacts Among Women Farmers in Cabintan, Ormoc City, Leyte

Climate change impacts have been increasingly affecting the lives of many people, including women farmers, in developing countries. This study aimed to determine the factors affecting adaptation to climate change impacts by women farmers in Brgy. Cabintan, Ormoc City. Data were gathered by interviewing 103 female vegetable farmers in Cabintan. The women farmer-respondents were mostly married with an average age of 40. The most common climatic hazards that they experienced in their farm were typhoons and drought. To be able to adapt to the impacts of typhoon and drought or heat stress, the women farmers employed several strategies, the topmost of which were: (1) plotting or mounding of land, (2) watering, and (3) water impounding. The significant variables that affected the women farmers’ decision to adopt the adaptation strategies to typhoon are farming experience in years, climate change awareness, access to agricultural extension, access to agricultural credit, number of children attending school, age, working hours per day, and number of years spent in school. In addition, the significant variables that affect women farmers’ decision to employ more than one adaptation strategy to drought or heat stress impacts are working hours per day, age, number of children attending school, number of years spent in school, and perceived future loss due to drought or heat stress impacts. It is recommended that the government should provide more seminars about climate change and its impacts and also about new and effective adaptation techniques that the Cabintan women farmers can employ in their farm.