Agrometeorological Learning: Coping Better with Climate Change

Farmers in poor countries are among the most vulnerable victims of increasing climate variability and climate change. They receive, however, little assistance from governments and scholars alike. Those working in the hard agricultural sciences often don¿t know the actual needs and potentials for grassroot climate adaptation. Those working in the soft sciences supporting farmers often don¿t understand vulnerabilities or opportunities of poor people created by the consequences of a changing climate. Absence of extension services well trained in the degrading environmental and social conditions of farmers worsens the situation. A rural response to climate change must bring among others applied anthropology and applied agrometeorology closer to the livelihood of farmers. Farmers must get the opportunity to learn about climate preparedness and climate adaptation potentials in a true partnership with dedicated scholars. This book reports on some attempts to bring farmers and scholars together in a few of such partnerships in Indonesia. Agrometeorological learning of farmers to better cope with climate change is shown to be difficult but possible if scholars want to listen to farmers.