Agricultural production in South-eastern Rajasthan is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. A study conducted with randomly selected 150 sample farmers’ households from three tehsils of Baran district of South-eastern Rajasthan recorded various responses on farmers’ perceptions on climate variability and change and its impact on agriculture and livelihood together with diff erent strategies adopted by farmers to deal with it. 80 per cent of the respondents foresee that the availability of water will reduce in future while 78 per cent have the opinion that monsoon, when compared to the past, receded earlier due to changing climate scenarios in the region. 75 per cent per cent of the respondents expressed their opinion that climate change reduced milk production while 70 per cent have belief in favour of a reduction in crop yield followed by increased incidents of pests and diseases (68%) in crops. In order to withstand the climate change, various coping and adaptation strategies were followed by the farmers which indicate that majority of the farmers(70%)changed the cropping pattern followed by installation of bore well (57%), selling of fi eld trees (40%), selling livestock (38%) adoption of soil and water conservation technologies (37%).The study also identifi ed the extent of vulnerability in sample households and classifi ed 55 per cent as highly vulnerable, 44 per cent in vulnerable and only 01 per cent in a moderately vulnerable group. Income, landholding, education, value orientation (Fatalism), knowledge and attitude were the important and signifi cant variables that aff ect the level of vulnerability in the study area. The study concludes that perceptions cause farmers to adopt strategies to cope with climate variability, and among the most important are, increased farmer access to timely weather information, skill development and capacity building for various soil and water conservation measures and rural livelihood options besides exposure to agriculture insurance schemes in the region.

Keyword: Attitude; Adaptation; Climate change; Knowledge; Perception; Vulnerability index; Attitude; Adaptation; Climate change; Knowledge; Perception; Vulnerability index