Educational-Extension Model of Farmers' Adaptation to Climate Change in Ilam Province: A Qualitative Study based on Grounded Theory

Abstract

The occurrence of climate change and its effect on surface water flows and groundwater resources, along with improper management of water resources, have increased the vulnerability of human communities to these changes. Therefore, all societies need to learn how to deal with these unforeseen conditions. The purpose of this study is to provide an educational-extension model for farmers' adaptation to climate change in Ilam province through the benefit of experts in the agricultural sector. To achieve the stated goal, through purposeful sampling, information was collected from 20 agricultural experts through semi-structured interviews. Then, using the grounded theory method, an educational-extension model of farmers' adaptation to climate change was presented. The findings of this qualitative study show that the model has six components such as economic and production conditions of the farm, man-made activities in agriculture and industry, farmers' adaptation to climate change, implementation of educational, economic, management, infrastructure and agricultural strategies, financial and administrative problems, success and motivation of farmers in adapting to climate change and hope for the future of the profession. The results showed that the educational-extension model of farmers' adaptation to climate change can be classified into 46 concepts, 30 sub-categories, and 6 main categories.