Characterizing adaptation responses to drought risk of livestock farmers in the Spanish dehesa agroforestry system

Climate change adaptation is primarily a local endeavor in response to impacts that are specific to regions, communities and ecosystems. Assessments of adaptation action must take into consideration the specific socioeconomic and environmental contexts where it takes place. This study aims to unders...

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Authors: Ropero-Szymañska, Nikoletta, Hernandez-Mora, Nuria, De Stefano, Lucia
Format: article
Publication Date:2025
Country:España
Institution:Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)
Repository:Docta Complutense
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:docta.ucm.es:20.500.14352/124297
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/124297
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:551.577.38(460)
drought
dehesa
adaptation
dryland
livestock
Hidrología
3199 Otras Especialidades Agrarias
2508.10 Precipitación
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spelling Characterizing adaptation responses to drought risk of livestock farmers in the Spanish dehesa agroforestry systemRopero-Szymañska, NikolettaHernandez-Mora, NuriaDe Stefano, Lucia551.577.38(460)droughtdehesaadaptationdrylandlivestockHidrología3199 Otras Especialidades Agrarias2508.10 PrecipitaciónClimate change adaptation is primarily a local endeavor in response to impacts that are specific to regions, communities and ecosystems. Assessments of adaptation action must take into consideration the specific socioeconomic and environmental contexts where it takes place. This study aims to understand how context-specific attributes influence the adaptive capacity of implemented measures. Building on the work of other authors, we developed a mixed methods approach to characterize drought and climate risk management measures and adaptation strategies that take into consideration farmer input and local context. We applied this methodology to the response of extensive dryland livestock farmers in a dehesa agroforestry system in southcentral Spain during a prolonged drought. Qualitative data was collected through interviews, focus groups and workshops, and coded and analyzed through deductive content analysis and complementary statistical correlation and multicriteria analysis. Measures were classified to place them along a coping-adaptation spectrum. They were further characterized in terms of their basic features, effectiveness, enabling conditions and feasibility requirements. The analysis helped identify potential barriers and opportunities to enhance strategies that reduce vulnerability to future climate-driven impacts. In the face of climate crisis, farmers will often tend to choose coping measures that have immediate effectiveness and are useful to swiftly address an unexpected critical situation, while more adaptive measures often need years or decades to achieve full effectiveness. Our work showed that the adaptive capacity of specific measures are context- and timing- dependent so that, for instance, some coping measures such as seasonal rental of dehesa for pasture or acorns or purchase of water tanks can help address short-term impacts to allow for devising more long-term adaptive strategies. Results highlighted the important role that cooperatives played in helping farmers face climate-related impacts. Inadequate information or limited understanding of local conditions constrains the ability of farmers to design effective adaptation strategies. These must build on an understanding of local priorities, values, socioeconomic and institutional contexts and local conditions to ensure their success. Applicability of adaptation strategies across case studies requires a careful adjustment of adaptation “success stories” documented in other regions to the multifaceted local reality.Frontiers MediaUniversidad Complutense de Madrid20252025-07-1620252025-07-16journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501VoRhttp://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85info:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/124297reponame:Docta Complutenseinstname:Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)Inglésengopen accesshttp://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2Attribution 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:docta.ucm.es:20.500.14352/1242972026-06-02T12:44:21Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Characterizing adaptation responses to drought risk of livestock farmers in the Spanish dehesa agroforestry system
title Characterizing adaptation responses to drought risk of livestock farmers in the Spanish dehesa agroforestry system
spellingShingle Characterizing adaptation responses to drought risk of livestock farmers in the Spanish dehesa agroforestry system
Ropero-Szymañska, Nikoletta
551.577.38(460)
drought
dehesa
adaptation
dryland
livestock
Hidrología
3199 Otras Especialidades Agrarias
2508.10 Precipitación
title_short Characterizing adaptation responses to drought risk of livestock farmers in the Spanish dehesa agroforestry system
title_full Characterizing adaptation responses to drought risk of livestock farmers in the Spanish dehesa agroforestry system
title_fullStr Characterizing adaptation responses to drought risk of livestock farmers in the Spanish dehesa agroforestry system
title_full_unstemmed Characterizing adaptation responses to drought risk of livestock farmers in the Spanish dehesa agroforestry system
title_sort Characterizing adaptation responses to drought risk of livestock farmers in the Spanish dehesa agroforestry system
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Ropero-Szymañska, Nikoletta
Hernandez-Mora, Nuria
De Stefano, Lucia
author Ropero-Szymañska, Nikoletta
author_facet Ropero-Szymañska, Nikoletta
Hernandez-Mora, Nuria
De Stefano, Lucia
author_role author
author2 Hernandez-Mora, Nuria
De Stefano, Lucia
author2_role author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Universidad Complutense de Madrid
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv 551.577.38(460)
drought
dehesa
adaptation
dryland
livestock
Hidrología
3199 Otras Especialidades Agrarias
2508.10 Precipitación
topic 551.577.38(460)
drought
dehesa
adaptation
dryland
livestock
Hidrología
3199 Otras Especialidades Agrarias
2508.10 Precipitación
description Climate change adaptation is primarily a local endeavor in response to impacts that are specific to regions, communities and ecosystems. Assessments of adaptation action must take into consideration the specific socioeconomic and environmental contexts where it takes place. This study aims to understand how context-specific attributes influence the adaptive capacity of implemented measures. Building on the work of other authors, we developed a mixed methods approach to characterize drought and climate risk management measures and adaptation strategies that take into consideration farmer input and local context. We applied this methodology to the response of extensive dryland livestock farmers in a dehesa agroforestry system in southcentral Spain during a prolonged drought. Qualitative data was collected through interviews, focus groups and workshops, and coded and analyzed through deductive content analysis and complementary statistical correlation and multicriteria analysis. Measures were classified to place them along a coping-adaptation spectrum. They were further characterized in terms of their basic features, effectiveness, enabling conditions and feasibility requirements. The analysis helped identify potential barriers and opportunities to enhance strategies that reduce vulnerability to future climate-driven impacts. In the face of climate crisis, farmers will often tend to choose coping measures that have immediate effectiveness and are useful to swiftly address an unexpected critical situation, while more adaptive measures often need years or decades to achieve full effectiveness. Our work showed that the adaptive capacity of specific measures are context- and timing- dependent so that, for instance, some coping measures such as seasonal rental of dehesa for pasture or acorns or purchase of water tanks can help address short-term impacts to allow for devising more long-term adaptive strategies. Results highlighted the important role that cooperatives played in helping farmers face climate-related impacts. Inadequate information or limited understanding of local conditions constrains the ability of farmers to design effective adaptation strategies. These must build on an understanding of local priorities, values, socioeconomic and institutional contexts and local conditions to ensure their success. Applicability of adaptation strategies across case studies requires a careful adjustment of adaptation “success stories” documented in other regions to the multifaceted local reality.
publishDate 2025
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025
2025-07-16
2025
2025-07-16
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv journal article
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
VoR
http://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85
dc.type.openaire.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
format article
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/124297
url https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/124297
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
eng
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
language eng
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv open access
http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
Attribution 4.0 International
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.rights.openaire.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv open access
http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
Attribution 4.0 International
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Frontiers Media
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Frontiers Media
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:Docta Complutense
instname:Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)
instname_str Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)
reponame_str Docta Complutense
collection Docta Complutense
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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score 15,198674

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