A Multi-Dimensional Scale for Quantifying Farmers’ Adaptation Strategies to Climate Change

Vinaya Kumar Hebsale Mallappa; Sriharsha Gadde

doi:10.48165/IJEE.2026.622RT04

Authors

Vinaya Kumar Hebsale Mallappa Keladi Shivappa Nakaya University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Shivamogga
Sriharsha Gadde

https://doi.org/10.48165/IJEE.2026.622RT04

Keywords:

Climate change adaptation, Farmers’ adaptation strategies, Scale development, Validation study, Climate-resilient agriculture

Abstract

Climate change poses challenges to agricultural production and the livelihoods of communities, particularly in climate-sensitive regions. Although farmers adopt a range of adaptation practices, the absence of a standardized and validated measurement tool limits the systematic assessment of these strategies. Therefore, the study aimed to develop and validate a scale to measure farmers’ adaptation strategies to climate change. The study was conducted in November-December 2025. An initial pool of 53 statements was generated through a literature review and expert consultation. After screening and refinement, 45 statements were subjected to expert judgment using a Likert summated rating approach to establish content validity. Statistical parameters, including Scale Value (S), Interquartile Range (Q), Relevancy Weightage (RW), Relevancy Percentage (RP), and Mean Relevancy Score (MRS) were used to evaluate and select items. Based on these criteria, 38 statements were finalised and organized into eight dimensions: crop adjustment and management, soil management and conservation, water management and conservation, nutrient management, livestock management, flood management, family resource/finance management, and labour use. The internal consistency of the scale was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, with values ranging from 0.795 to 0.861, indicating reliability across dimensions.

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