A study of semantic perception farmers about climate change in small-scale farming units in Hamadan province

In recent years, climate change has had severe and far-reaching impacts on rural areas, especially on smallholder farmers, causing small farms to suffer more, produce less, and putting agriculture at risk. The fragility of smallholder livelihoods and well-being has complicated the response of smallholders to climate change. The aim of this study was to investigate smallholder farmers' perceptions of climate change and their lived experiences and semantic understanding of this phenomenon in smallholder farms in Hamadan province, as well as how they deal with it, using the phenomenological research method. For this purpose, a series of questions in the form of semi-structured and in-depth interview protocols were designed and 30 farmers were interviewed using Colaizzai method and Maximum Variation Sampling technique). Most farmers recognized climate change and associated it with numerous signs, such as decreasing rainfall, groundwater depletion, increasing heavy rainfall, rising temperatures, and shifting seasons, according to the data. The most important indicator of climate change, they say, is the occurrence of water shortages on farms. Farmers who participated in this study are reducing the quantity and quality of agricultural goods produced, increasing their use of chemicals to control pests or improve soil fertility, and increasing their expenses. Climate change has brought serious problems to agricultural management, with production being one of the most important negative impacts. The results of this study show that farmers have been both proactive and reactive in responding to the impacts of climate change, as well as non-responsive. The main responses of farmers to climate change included improving water management, diversifying livelihoods, changing cropping patterns, changing livestock and management practices, and expanding extension services and expert advice.