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Participatory Rural Appraisal Approaches: an Overview and an Exemplary Application of Focus Group Discussion in Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Strategies

M.N. Uddin
Assistant Professor
Department of Agricultural Extension Education, Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), Mymensingh-2202, Bangladesh

N. Anjuman
Ex- MS Student
Department of Rural Sociology, BAU, Mymensingh-2202, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Different tools and techniques of participatory approaches are the basic way of conducting qualitative research especially in the field of applied social science. Focus Group Discussion (FGD) is one of the main Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) technique often used in combination with others to achieve desired goals. Considering this concept, this paper attempts to review the PRA approach and then application of FGD, in combination with matrix scoring and ranking to identify problems and causes of climate change along with possible mitigation and adaptation strategies. A group of 20 students at post graduate level under the faculty of Agriculture and Horticulture at Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany those from different corner of the world was considered as target people of the study. The results concluded that “unpredictable weather events” was ranked as the present outstanding visible climate change problem caused by “human activities”. However, it was noted that if alternative renewable energy sources are exploited, this could contribute to solving the present climate change problem. This finding might have the good reference for the policy makers in the same line not only for developing countries but also for developed countries.

Keywords: PRA, FGD, Climate Change, Adaptation and Mitigation

Location: the faculty of Agriculture and Horticulture at Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Knowledge Management

Non-commodity: Adoption and mitigation technology

Objectives:

The paper aims at : 1) briefly clarify the theoretical concepts of some of the existing PRA tools including Focus Group Discussion (FGD) as one of the PRA tool and 2) practically illustrating how a FGD can be use to determine problems and causes of climate change as well as mitigation and adaptation strategies.

Methodology:

Different literatures review and FGD were practiced to explain objectives of the study. About 20 post graduate students those coming from different part of the globe whose study under the faculty of Agriculture and Horticulture at Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany were considered as target people of the study. The details of the FGD conduction along with result is explained at the second part of the paper while first part of the paper revealed with PRA approaches. There are several tools and techniques that belong to the PRA family. The main purpose of this issue was to practically demonstrate how a FGD as a PRA tool alongside others can be used to identify and analyse some of the adverse climate change problems, causes as well some possible mitigation and adaptation strategies. The target group for this exercise was a group of students under the faculty of agriculture and horticulture at Humboldt University of Berlin. Therefore, represents the statements and conclusions arrived at by this group of students within a FGD session.

Source of Information: ISSN: 2224-0616 Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. & Tech. 3 (2): 72-78, December, 2013 Available online at http://www.ijarit.webs.com

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

In conclusion PRA is an ever changing transdisciplinary process which uses adaptive methodology as and when problems arise. It is important to remember that in this research process one must always try to reduce the big questions to specific queries, immediate gratification is a rare event, local development is a two way street (feedback is critical) and that the behaviour and attitude of outsiders matter as much as the methods and their correct performance. One should be an active learner rather than claim to be an expert. Focus Group Discussion is one of the important PRA technique often used in combination with others to achieve desired goals. This paper tried to explain this technique, in combination with matrix scoring and ranking with a group of 20 students to identify causes of climate change as well as possible mitigation and adaptation strategies. The results concluded that “unpredictable weather events” was ranked as the present outstanding visible climate change problem caused by “human activities”. However it was noted that if “alternative renewable energy sources are exploited, this could contribute to solving the present climate change problem. This finding might have the good reference for the policy makers in the same line not only for developing countries but also for developed countries.

Knowledge Management: Journal