Explaining the components of social learning in adaptation of farmers to climate change: A Case Study in Kurdistan Province

The social learning approach is one of  the most effective and emerging approaches to solve  multidimensional, long-term and multi-stakeholder problems. It aligns individual efforts to synergize, mitigate, and adapt to climate change. This study sought to identify the factors affecting social learning in farmers' adaptation to climate change in Kurdistan province. The methodology was qualitative conventional content analysis and the method of sampling was snowball sampling. Research tools were semi-structured interviews with 17 researchers and experts who are active in the field of climate change in the region. Data analyzed with MAXQDA12 software and 97 codes and five classes were extracted, This classes includes of: 1- The dimensions of climate change in the province (with 4 subclasses), 2-The existence of adaptive technologies with climate change (with 3 subclasses), 3-Access to communication networks (With 5 subclasses), 4-Integrated stakeholder management (with 3 subclasses) and 5-Individual, social and economic variables (with 5 subclasses). Finally, suggestions and solutions were presented in order to improve the capacity of farmers to adapt to climate change in the province. The results of this study can lead managers, policy makers, planners and researchers in the successful design and implementation of adaptive programs, taking into account the interaction and cooperation of stakeholders and their active participation.