Climate Change Competencies Assessment of Field Assistants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Climate Change Competencies Assessment of Field Assistants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Asif Nawaz* and Muhammad Zafarullah Khan
ABSTRACT
The present research study was conducted in order to assess possessed and required level of climate change competencies, their training needs and influence of demographic characteristics on the climate change competencies of Field Assistants of the Agriculture Extension Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A sample of 234 out of total 543 Field Assistants were selected with the help of Sekaran Sampling Technique and the respondents were distributed in four Agro-ecological zones of the province with the help of proportional allocation sampling method. Data from the respondents were collected through pretested and validated interview schedule. Data was analyzed using SPSS Ver.20. Mean, standard deviation, chi-square test and paired sample t-tests were calculated to achieve the study objectives. Results of the study revealed that Field Assistants were incompetent in competencies regarding record keeping on climate change issues, recording and reporting climate change impacts, use of cultural practices to mitigate climate change impacts, promoting cultivation of improved crop varieties regarding climate change and evaluating adaptation options. Highly significant difference at 1% level of probability between the possessed and required level of these competencies revealed that Field Assistants required trainings in these climate change competencies. Therefore, it is suggested that immediate in-service training should be provided to them in the identified competencies and also it might be included in the curriculum of the Field Assistants diploma course.
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