Abstract:
This thesis studies on risks, vulnerability and adaptive capacity of farmers to shocks that might happen. The purposes are to analyze farmers perception to the risks, farmers exposure with the risks, farmers vulnerability, the adaption strategies, and the factors influencing the recovery of the farmers after shocks. This research compares the results between farmers who grow maize in highland and lowland. Data were collected from 80 households in Santisuk District, Nan Province. The major findings are as follows. Firstly, fluctuation in maize price is perceived to be the most important risk for both farmers in highland and lowland. Household with higher numbers of worker outside agricultural sector or with higher land area tends to have higher risk perception scores. On the other hand, household with higher savings or with secured land ownership tends to have lower risk perception scores. Secondly, vulnerability leads to the higher level of debts. Thirdly, to handle with risks, the farmers adapt themselves after exposed to the risks rather than preparing themselves in advance. The results also show that the lowland famers have higher capabilities to reduce vulnerability and improve their adaptabilities in the future, especially in terms of infrastructure development such as water storage areas. Nevertheless, the highland farmers strategies are more limited and are mostly adapted after shocks occured, e.g., increasing fertilizers and pesticides. Fourthly, incomes and saving are positive factors influencing recovery, while number of dependents and amounts of debts are negative ones. The research also finds that building farms infrastructure is an effective strategies in promoting recovery; while growing alternative crops might worsen the problem. To conclude, this research shows that highland and lowland farmers faced same risks. However, their vulnerabilities vary depending on household characteristics and adaptabilities. In order to reduce vulnerabilities and negative impacts of risks on farmers, government should seriously take into accounts these characteristics while households adaptive capacity should be built.