Effects of Population Pressure and Excessive Cultivation on Climate Change in District Dir (Lower) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Perception of Local Farming Community

Abstract

This study aimed at finding the association of population pressure effect on climate change (excessive cultivation). The study was conducted in seven tehsils and fourteen village councils of District (lower) Dir Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. A sample size of 346 respondents was selected through simple random sampling. Data was collected on a two level likert scale interview schedule. The association of study variables was tested by using chi-square test statistics. A highly significant (p=0.000) and positive (Tb=0.304) association between climate change and farmers possessing the technical ability to cultivate a variety of vegetables or multiple crops throughout the year. Similarly, a highly significant (P=0.000) and positive (T^b =0.316) association was found between farmer’s practices to cultivate crops with organic instead of chemical fertilizer and climate change. Additionally, the result showed a highly (P=0.000) and positive (T^b =0.290) association between farmers believe in the usage of technology to increase high productivity with climate change. In addition, a highly significant (P=0.000) and positive (T^b =0.338) association was discovered between farmers experience increases the number of crops in seasonal year with climate change. Additionally, a highly significant (P=0.000) and positive (T^b =0.411) association was reflected from the relation between climate change and the new varieties of seeds drought resistant in the study region. Furthermore, a highly significant (P=0.000) and positive (T^b =0.253) association was inferred between climate change and farmers observed insecticide/ feticides resistance during farming.