Adapting to Climate Change in a Politically Complex Environment: Agricultural and Food Security Resilience Strategies in Hebron Governorate, Palestine

Agriculture in Palestine is threatened by climate change (CC). The threat magnifies under restrictions imposed by the Israeli occupation on access to agricultural water and land. This study aims to assess CC impacts on agricultural activities, livelihood, food security, and health of Palestinian farmers, herders, and household consumers; and investigate adaptation strategies they practice under political restrictions. The study adopts the qualitative case study research design. Data was collected in 2021 through online in-depth interviews with 24 participants (12 farmers and herders, 12 consumers) including 8 women, from Yatta and As Samoa towns in Hebron governorate, in time of COVID-19 pandemic that hindered face-to-face interviews. Data was analyzed using ‘Thematic Analysis’. Results show that reduced duration of planting seasons, decline in forage and grazing fields, shortage of drinking water for livestock, and reduced working hours on farm are major impacts of CC (mainly droughts). These impacts adversely influence the livelihood, food security, and health of farmers, herders, and consumers, such as income loss from marketing activities; reduced consumption of food; and depression. As adaptation measures, farmers use water tanks to store irrigation water for dry seasons; and apply fertilizers and mulch to improve yields. Herders make hay and practice mob grazing to supplement and preserve rangelands for livestock feeds. They engage in occupations aside agriculture to improve their livelihood and store food in boom seasons to secure food. Overall, these measures proved to improve their mental health. Nevertheless, there is still an urgent need to establish irrigation systems in non-restricted regions; subsidize prices of purchased water; and finance inputs for cultivating resistant crops. This study is among few Palestinian studies, if not the only one, examining CC impacts resulting from different climatic variation conditions, including prolonged dry season, extreme weather conditions (heat, drought, and cold), and excessive precipitation, in a single study. It also addresses holistically a wide spectrum of different CC impacts influencing agricultural activities, livelihood, food security, and (mental) health of three target groups, in a one case study.