Climate, agriculture, and farmer's mental health: Unravelling the nexus in Wayanad, Kerala

Title

Climate, agriculture, and farmer's mental health: Unravelling the nexus in Wayanad, Kerala

Creator

Menon R.R.; Warrier M.G.

Description

A sizable majority of the population works in the primary sector in Kerala's Wayanad district, where agriculture is the backbone of the local economy. However, dynamic issues including climate change, fluctuating soil quality, crop diseases, and related economic consequences pose difficulties for this industry. The complicated linkages between agricultural practices and climate change are discussed using qualitative data from in-depth interviews with 15 Wayanad farmers. Agricultural productivity and revenue are strongly impacted by unpredictable rainfall, which is exacerbated by strong winds, natural disasters, wildlife intrusions, and crop diseases. The failure of farmers to adjust to these climate changes is a remarkable finding, frequently brought on by fear and unstable financial situations. This resistance causes anxiety, a sense of powerlessness, and a sense of responsibility for circumstances that are out of their control. In order to help farmers manage the unforeseeable effects of climate change, the study emphasizes the urgent need for policy initiatives in areas like Wayanad. Cooperative farming and knowledge-sharing platforms are examples of strategies that could improve farmers' psychological resilience and general well-being. Given that agriculture accounts for a substantial portion of the region's income and that resources and knowledge are scarce, climate change has a considerable impact on agricultural outputs and farmers' psychological well-being. 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights are reserved including those for text and data mining AI training and similar technologies.

Source

Impact of Climate Change on Social and Mental Well-Being, pp. 109-124.

Date

2024-01-01

Publisher

Elsevier

Subject

Climate change; Farmer's mental health; Farming in Wayanad; Mental health; Social psychology

Coverage

Menon R.R., Department of Psychology, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Karnataka, Bengaluru, India; Warrier M.G., Department of Psychology, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Karnataka, Bengaluru, India

Rights

Restricted Access

Relation

ISBN: 978-044323788-1; 978-044323789-8

Format

Online

Language

English

Type

Book chapter

Identifier

https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-23788-1.00007-5

https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85205157205&doi=10.1016%2fB978-0-443-23788-1.00007-5&partnerID=40&md5=aaf16106c56f7d056833326cf897596c