Alterations in temperature, rainfall patterns, and sea-level rise can have significant consequences for a country’s agriculture sector, particularly for farmers who rely on consistent weather patterns for their livelihoods. This study aims to understand the challenges farmers face due to climate change, identify potential strategies for adapting agricultural practices to mitigate these challenges, identify the type of mental health challenges, and understand how changing climate conditions may exacerbate these issues. The qualitative intrinsic case study methodology was chosen because it is suitable for examining contemporary phenomena within natural settings (Yin, R. K. (2009). Case Study Research: Design and Methods (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks,). Nine farmers on the island of Trinidad were interviewed. Findings highlighted that the farmers experience various psychosocial and farm-related challenges. These included a significant reduction in water supply, interspersed by flooding, resulting in reduced quality and quantity of crop yields and frequent crop loss, which affected farmers’ livelihood. Psychologically, farmers reported experiencing stress, anxiety, depression, angry moods, disrupted sleep and irritability with family and friends. Despite these besetting and worrisome issues, farmers were dogged in their determination to continue farming and resolved to adapt to the new farming environment. They believed that with government intervention and support at a personal and farming level, they would cope and overcome their present climate change challenges.

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Climate Change and Its Effect on the Mental Health of Farmers in Trinidad and Tobago

  • Sadia Moore,
  • Glenda Hinkson,
  • Edward Clarke

摘要

Alterations in temperature, rainfall patterns, and sea-level rise can have significant consequences for a country’s agriculture sector, particularly for farmers who rely on consistent weather patterns for their livelihoods. This study aims to understand the challenges farmers face due to climate change, identify potential strategies for adapting agricultural practices to mitigate these challenges, identify the type of mental health challenges, and understand how changing climate conditions may exacerbate these issues. The qualitative intrinsic case study methodology was chosen because it is suitable for examining contemporary phenomena within natural settings (Yin, R. K. (2009). Case Study Research: Design and Methods (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks,). Nine farmers on the island of Trinidad were interviewed. Findings highlighted that the farmers experience various psychosocial and farm-related challenges. These included a significant reduction in water supply, interspersed by flooding, resulting in reduced quality and quantity of crop yields and frequent crop loss, which affected farmers’ livelihood. Psychologically, farmers reported experiencing stress, anxiety, depression, angry moods, disrupted sleep and irritability with family and friends. Despite these besetting and worrisome issues, farmers were dogged in their determination to continue farming and resolved to adapt to the new farming environment. They believed that with government intervention and support at a personal and farming level, they would cope and overcome their present climate change challenges.