PERCEPTIONS ON CURRENT AND FUTURE SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL VULNERABILITIES IN THE FACE OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR: EXPLORATORY STUDY IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF CADAVAL, PORTUGAL

Abstract

Climate change, as multidimensional and complex phenomenon, challenge social communities to get acquainted and anticipate their current and future impacts. The present article, focusing on the field of perceptions of local agents linked to the agricultural sector, aims to identify and understand, from their position and perspectives, which are the impacts of climate change on agriculture and what are the strategies to adapt to these changes in the municipality of Cadaval, a rural county with a markedly agricultural land use and vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Using a questionnaire survey applied to local farmers, and resorted to the realization of a focus group with stakeholders, we seek to characterize their perceptions regarding climate change, and its current and future impacts and vulnerabilities on agricultural activity, as their position in relation to adaptation and mitigation. In general, the information collected allows us to highlight the following characteristics: climate change is perceived essentially as a result of human action and our respondents are well aware of the effects of these changes on agriculture, which most claim are already felt. There is some shortcoming in information, in particular on greenhouse gas emissions processes in agriculture which prevents them from identifying the necessary mitigation processes. The farmers surveyed recognize the vulnerability of intensive orchards with irrigation and low temperature needs, the difficulty in changing and adapting these permanent crops that they see as a challenge to be overcome, and recognize the opportunity that the increase in temperature represents for the vitiviniculture sector.