Project Background
Water scarcity is a growing concern throughout the world, affecting nearly one third of the population on every continent. The problem is particularly urgent in developing countries heavily reliant on agriculture, which can account for as much as 85-90% of fresh water usage. Population growth, dramatic shifts in land use, competing demands for water and energy, and changing climatic conditions further exacerbate water scarcity. Against this backdrop, effective water management has significant implications for food security, economic growth, health, and political stability.
Historically, the world’s farmers have relied on traditional practices to manage water, but now find themselves challenged by new conditions that require adaptation. This project seeks to understand the factors that facilitate or constrain adaptive responses among farmers within the dry zone of Sri Lanka. We draw upon the core disciplines of psychology, sociology, hydrology, and engineering to investigate farmers’ adaptive actions and how these decisions are affected by psychological, social, institutional, and environmental factors.
Project Background
Water scarcity is a growing concern throughout the world, affecting nearly one third of the population on every continent. The problem is particularly urgent in developing countries heavily reliant on agriculture, which can account for as much as 85-90% of fresh water usage. Population growth, dramatic shifts in land use, competing demands for water and energy, and changing climatic conditions further exacerbate water scarcity. Against this backdrop, effective water management has significant implications for food security, economic growth, health, and political stability.
Historically, the world’s farmers have relied on traditional practices to manage water, but now find themselves challenged by new conditions that require adaptation. This project seeks to understand the factors that facilitate or constrain adaptive responses among farmers within the dry zone of Sri Lanka. We draw upon the core disciplines of psychology, sociology, hydrology, and engineering to investigate farmers’ adaptive actions and how these decisions are affected by psychological, social, institutional, and environmental factors.
Sri Lanka Environmental & Agricultural Decision-Making Survey (SEADS)
The SEADS is a household survey of smallholding farmers in Sri Lanka. Between 2012 and 2017 we implemented the SEADS in 30 communities with varying levels of irrigation infrastructure throughout the dry zone of Sri Lanka. Households and communities were visited multiple times throughout this five-year project to examine changes in agricultural practices over time.
The SEADS involves two survey instruments:
- Household Survey (SEADS-HH)
- Community Survey (SEADS-C)
The SEADS-HH collects information about household demographics, economic activity, land holdings, agricultural production, farming practices, risk perceptions, perceptions of environmental change, and agricultural innovation. The SEADS-C is administered to a set of leaders in the community including the village officer, farmer organization headman, and agricultural extension officers. This survey asses access to irrigation infrastructure, the presence farmer training programs and other agricultural support, economic activity, and other services (e.g., health care, education, etc.) available within the community.
The SEADS is a household survey of smallholding farmers in Sri Lanka. Between 2012 and 2017 we implemented the SEADS in 30 communities with varying levels of irrigation infrastructure throughout the dry zone of Sri Lanka. Households and communities were visited multiple times throughout this five-year project to examine changes in agricultural practices over time.
The SEADS involves two survey instruments:
- Household Survey (SEADS-HH)
- Community Survey (SEADS-C)
The SEADS-HH collects information about household demographics, economic activity, land holdings, agricultural production, farming practices, risk perceptions, perceptions of environmental change, and agricultural innovation. The SEADS-C is administered to a set of leaders in the community including the village officer, farmer organization headman, and agricultural extension officers. This survey asses access to irrigation infrastructure, the presence farmer training programs and other agricultural support, economic activity, and other services (e.g., health care, education, etc.) available within the community.
Collaborators
This project involves a multi-disciplinary collaboration with researchers from Vanderbilt University, the University of North Florida and the University of Colorado. We have partnered with the National Building Research Organization as our key collaborator in Sri Lanka. A full list of collaborators can be found here.
Funders
This project involves a multi-disciplinary collaboration with researchers from Vanderbilt University, the University of North Florida and the University of Colorado. We have partnered with the National Building Research Organization as our key collaborator in Sri Lanka. A full list of collaborators can be found here.
Funders
- National Science Foundation: Water Sustainability and Climate (WSC) Program. Climate, Drought and Agricultural Adaptations: An Investigation of Vulnerabilities and Responses to Water Stress Among Paddy Farmers in Sri Lanka (NSF-EAR 1204685). PI G.M. Hornberger. 9/1/2012 – 8/31/2017.
- Vanderbilt University Discovery Grant Program. Climate Adaptation, Water-Energy Impacts, Perceptions and Behavior. 2011 – 2013.
- Vanderbilt International Office. Category B: Project Development Grant. Climate Change Adaptation: A Pilot Study on Drought Impacts, Perceptions and Behavior. 2010-2011.
- Vanderbilt International Office. Category A: Collaborative Exploratory Grant. Climate Change Adaptation: Climate Change Adaptation: Flood Impacts and Perceptions. 2009-2010.
Project Publications
Carrico, A.R., Truelove, H.B., Williams, N.E. (2019). Social capital and resilience to drought among smallholding farmers in Sri Lanka. Climatic Change, 155(2), 195-213.
Burchfield, E., Williams, N.E., Carrico, A.R.. (2018). Rescaling drought mitigation in rural Sri Lanka. Regional Environmental Change, 18(8), 2495-2503.
Williams, N.E., Carrico, A.R., Edirisinghe, I. and Champika, P.A.J. (2018). Assessing the impacts of agrobiodiversity maintenance on food security among farming households in Sri Lanka's dry zone. Economic Botany, 72(2), 196-206.
Williams, N., Carrico, A.R. (2017). Examining adaptations to water stress among farming households in Sri Lanka's Dry Zone. Ambio, in press.
Gunda, T., Bazuin, J., Nay, J. J. & Yeung, K. (2017). Impact of Seasonal Forecast Use on Agricultural Income in a System with Varying Crop Costs and Returns: An Empirically-Grounded Simulation. Environmental Research Letters. DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/aa5ef7
Burchfield, E. K. & Gilligan, J. (2016). Agricultural adaptation to drought in the Sri Lankan dry zone. Applied Geography, 77, 92-100.
Burchfield, E. K. & Gilligan, J. M. (2016). Dynamics of individual and collective adaptation to water scarcity. In Proceedings of the 2016 Winter Simulation Conference (pp. 1678-1689). IEEE Press.
Burchfield E, Nay, J.J., & Gilligan, J. (2016). Application of Machine Learning to the Prediction of Vegetation Health. The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, XLI-B2: 465-469, doi:10.5194/isprs-archives-XLI-B2-465-2016.
Perrone, D. & Hornberger, G. (2016). Frontiers of the food–energy–water trilemma: Sri Lanka as a microcosm of tradeoffs. Environmental Research Letters, 11(1), 14005.
Stone, E. C., & Hornberger, G. M. (2016). Impacts of management alternatives on rice yield and nitrogen losses to the environment: A case study in rural Sri Lanka. Science of The Total Environment 542, 271-276.
Davis, K., Gephart, J. & Gunda, T. (2015). Future environmental impacts of Sri Lanka’s policy on self-sufficiency in rice. AMBIO, DOI: 10.1007/s13280-015-0720-2.
Gunda, T., Benneyworth L., & Burchfield E. (2015). Exploring water indices and associated parameters: A case study approach. Water Policy 17, 98-111. DOI:10.2166/wp.2014.022.
Gunda, T., Hornberger G.M., & Gilligan J.M. (2015) Spatiotemporal patterns of meteorological drought in Sri Lanka from 1880-2010. International Journal of Climatology. In press.
Lyons-Duncan, L., Perrone, D., Jacobi, J.H., & Hornberger, G.M. (2015). Drought: Using High Resolution as Part of the Solution. Environ. Sci. Tech., In press.
Truelove, H.B., Carrico, A.R., Thabrew, L. (2015). Agricultural adaptation to climate change: A case study of Sri Lankan farmers. Global Environmental Change, , 31, 85-97.
Perrone, D. & Hornberger, G.M. (2013). Water, Food, and Energy Security: Scrambling for Resources or Solutions?. WIRES Water 1, 1-4.
Carrico, A.R., Truelove, H.B., Williams, N.E. (2019). Social capital and resilience to drought among smallholding farmers in Sri Lanka. Climatic Change, 155(2), 195-213.
Burchfield, E., Williams, N.E., Carrico, A.R.. (2018). Rescaling drought mitigation in rural Sri Lanka. Regional Environmental Change, 18(8), 2495-2503.
Williams, N.E., Carrico, A.R., Edirisinghe, I. and Champika, P.A.J. (2018). Assessing the impacts of agrobiodiversity maintenance on food security among farming households in Sri Lanka's dry zone. Economic Botany, 72(2), 196-206.
Williams, N., Carrico, A.R. (2017). Examining adaptations to water stress among farming households in Sri Lanka's Dry Zone. Ambio, in press.
Gunda, T., Bazuin, J., Nay, J. J. & Yeung, K. (2017). Impact of Seasonal Forecast Use on Agricultural Income in a System with Varying Crop Costs and Returns: An Empirically-Grounded Simulation. Environmental Research Letters. DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/aa5ef7
Burchfield, E. K. & Gilligan, J. (2016). Agricultural adaptation to drought in the Sri Lankan dry zone. Applied Geography, 77, 92-100.
Burchfield, E. K. & Gilligan, J. M. (2016). Dynamics of individual and collective adaptation to water scarcity. In Proceedings of the 2016 Winter Simulation Conference (pp. 1678-1689). IEEE Press.
Burchfield E, Nay, J.J., & Gilligan, J. (2016). Application of Machine Learning to the Prediction of Vegetation Health. The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, XLI-B2: 465-469, doi:10.5194/isprs-archives-XLI-B2-465-2016.
Perrone, D. & Hornberger, G. (2016). Frontiers of the food–energy–water trilemma: Sri Lanka as a microcosm of tradeoffs. Environmental Research Letters, 11(1), 14005.
Stone, E. C., & Hornberger, G. M. (2016). Impacts of management alternatives on rice yield and nitrogen losses to the environment: A case study in rural Sri Lanka. Science of The Total Environment 542, 271-276.
Davis, K., Gephart, J. & Gunda, T. (2015). Future environmental impacts of Sri Lanka’s policy on self-sufficiency in rice. AMBIO, DOI: 10.1007/s13280-015-0720-2.
Gunda, T., Benneyworth L., & Burchfield E. (2015). Exploring water indices and associated parameters: A case study approach. Water Policy 17, 98-111. DOI:10.2166/wp.2014.022.
Gunda, T., Hornberger G.M., & Gilligan J.M. (2015) Spatiotemporal patterns of meteorological drought in Sri Lanka from 1880-2010. International Journal of Climatology. In press.
Lyons-Duncan, L., Perrone, D., Jacobi, J.H., & Hornberger, G.M. (2015). Drought: Using High Resolution as Part of the Solution. Environ. Sci. Tech., In press.
Truelove, H.B., Carrico, A.R., Thabrew, L. (2015). Agricultural adaptation to climate change: A case study of Sri Lankan farmers. Global Environmental Change, , 31, 85-97.
Perrone, D. & Hornberger, G.M. (2013). Water, Food, and Energy Security: Scrambling for Resources or Solutions?. WIRES Water 1, 1-4.