Investigating the Living Experience of Smallholder Farmers and Climate Risk Adaptation StrategiesCase study: Qaenat saffron farmers

This study identified the most important strategies used by saffron farmers to adapt to climate change in the Qaenat region of South Khorasan and examines the factors affecting adaptation and its barriers. For this aim, by descriptive-analytical method and using a questionnaire tool, the sample size was randomly determined from 87 villages in the rural areas of the central part of Qaen and then the factors affecting adaptation to climate change were calculated by logistic regression model. These strategies include the use of different types of products, soil protection, changes in irrigation time, and among the drivers of strategy selection can be the level of education, gender, age and assets of the head of the household; Access to credit and validity of weather information noted. The reaction of saffron growers is in three categories, without choosing adaptation, reactive adaptation and active adaptation that each saffron household chooses according to its living conditions. In addition to the behavior of working saffron households in choosing adaptation methods, the difference between understandings the effects of the consequences of climate change and profiling their livelihood strategy is important to achieve a reliable strategy. The results showed that saffron growers have chosen at least one strategy method. 72% of respondents chose active and reactive adaptation.