6. Conclusions
The primary purpose of this research was to explore how the issue of
climate change in Sindh can be handled effectively in connection with
sugarcanefarmers. This research is based on primary data from a survey
and secondary data including related studies on climate change and
growthof sugarcane production. To this end, on the basis of the
empirical findings,we conclude that in comparison with other factors
addressed in several previous studies, environmental factors should be
prioritized in overcoming the less growth in sugarcane production.The
various factors include technical factors, economic factors, and social
factors, but environmental factors, as discussed in this research, need
time to manage them through effective strategies. The outcome is not
immediate, but the causes of climate change need to be tackled first,
particularly the three significant factors found in this study. Rise
in the production of sugarcane depends only on a favorable climate
rather than on social and financial factors. Instead of focusing on all
climate change factors, we emphasize the formulation of measures and
strategies to resolve clearly defined issues to provide a favorable
environment for the farmers for alarge-scale sugarcaneproduction with
confidence. The cross-sectional survey data collected here prove that
the effects of climate change cannot be overcome overnight. They require
serious efforts and effective actions to restore the average sugarcane
production at least in Sindh. The increase in production will come as
time passes, but immediate action must be taken to deal with the three
main factors discussed above. This study does not include all the steps
and approaches needed for further research since it highlights only the
most relevant questions for Sindh’s sugarcane producers. The review is
entirely reliable for a future study, but certain drawbacks need to be
addressed. The first constraint was the targeted areas, as only a few
areas of Sindh could bechosen because of accessibility issues. The
second limitation is the sample size that does not reflect all farmers
of Sindh. The third constraint is the time factor that might be taken
into considerationin future if social issues and other environmental
factors are known. The study covers a small range of environmental
factors, which does not take inti account other facts and figures, such
as initiatives by the current Pakistani government, climate change
figures for Sindh, and the reasons for soil damage in Sindh. For this
analysis, the following three variables may be used as a basis for
further research: rainfall, soil conditions, and irrigation. Research is
also needed to develop effective and appropriate measures and strategies
to address the identified factors that would help Pakistan government to
address these issues specifically. The issues raised as a result of
climate change differ from region to region in Pakistan, and as a main
contribution, this research has identified specific issues for sugarcane
farmers in Sindh.
Technical knowledge and assistance may help sugarcane producers deal
with unusual damages and environmental issues. Monetary assistance can
be made available in the form ofloans to farmers, whileNGOs can reach
out to thefarmers to assist with new technological knowhow. While lack
of advance technologycan harm the growthof sugarcane production, the
availability of the same could handle the damage caused to the
environment. However, when farmers are technologically advanced and have
advanced knowledge, they could easily manage environmental damage such
as disease attacks. Astudy by Abdul et al. (2012) showed that climate
change has an impact on agricultural production, but it is not necessary
for every outcome of climate change to affect crop
production;technological advancementmay be made in the fight against
increases in CO2 due to climate change (Abdul et al.
2012). Although it is difficult for the government to meet all the
criteria or make all relevant schemes more accessible to all,certain
subjective measures such as planting of trees in agricultural areasare
in place to cope with heatwaves. Specific problems such as highdemand of
water for irrigation are due to the heatwave situation, as evaporation
increases during high temperatures. In Pakistan, heatwavesare a rampant
environmental problem which iscreated due to elevated
CO2 levels, and this has affected the growth of
sugarcanefarming, as sugarcane needs intense heat to grow (Ehsanullah et
al. 2011;Ghaffar et al. 2012). Due to the adverse effects of climate
change, farmers need pesticides to cope with diseases. However, the cost
of these pesticides is high, which preventsthem from buying them, and
this leads to the farmers resorting to the cultivation of
disease-affected sugarcane crops (Chohan et al. 2013).