ES-08. The role of social connections and community context in adaptive farming practices among Sri Lankan households

Abstract
Climate change is pressuring dynamics in coupled natural and human systems, necessitating human adaptation. Adaptation in complex, multi-scalar systems requires collaborative approaches. Understanding how actors collaborate and exchange knowledge is of considerable importance for predicting adaptive responses and identifying opportunities for interventions. Data for this analysis come from the Sri Lankan Environmental and Agricultural Decision-making Survey (SEADS) – a survey of 1,148 smallholder paddy-farming households in Sri Lanka’s heavily agricultural “dry zone”. Using a multi-level mixed regression model approach, we examine the relationship between a farmer’s awareness and adoption of drought adaptation strategies (e.g., seed selection, irrigation management, harvest timing) and level of social connectedness (e.g., participation in farmer organizations, trust in social support assistance in an emergency, perception of village social cohesion), controlling for other demographic and economic variables. Results indicate some measures of social connectedness are positively associated with awareness and adoption of adaptive farming practices.