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Climate Change Sensitivity, Adaptive Capacity, and Technology Adoption: Implications for Farmers’ Economic Well-Being in Malaysia’s Muda River Basin
Nik Ahmad Sufian Burhan, Hayrol Azril Mohamed Shaffril, Suryani Darham, Haliza Abdul Rahman, Shaufique Fahmi hmad Sidique, Samsul Farid Samsuddin, Nobaya Ahmad, Jasmin Arif Shah, Nurul Amiera Khalid, Abdul Rais Abdul Rais Abdul Latiff+†, Liew Juneng and Fredolin Tangang
Published: 2025/12/01
Abstract
The Muda River Basin (MRB), Malaysia’s largest granary area, faces increasing climate extremes that threaten agricultural productivity and farmer livelihoods. Understanding how farmers perceive climate risks is critical for developing effective adaptation strategies. In this study, climate change sensitivity is defined as farmers’ perception of economic, political, cultural, and institutional susceptibility to climate-related impacts. This study investigates how these dimensions of sensitivity influence adaptive capacity and technology adoption, and how these factors, in turn, affect economic well-being. Data were collected from 382 farmers across five districts in Kedah using a structured questionnaire, and analysed with partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The findings show that both adaptive capacity (β = .60, p < .01) and technology adoption (β = .18, p < .01) significantly enhance economic well-being Adaptive capacity was strongly shaped by all four sensitivity dimensions, while economic and cultural sensitivity also directly influenced technology adoption. Climate anxiety, included as a control variable, reduced both adaptive capacity and adoption rates. These results underscore the importance of institutional support and cultural considerations in strengthening farmers’ adaptive responses. Policy measures that promote access to technology, build farmer trust in institutions, and integrate mental health awareness such as climate anxiety into extension programs can enhance resilience and improve economic well-being in the MRB.
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