Scientometric Analysis and Knowledge Mapping of Global Research on Farmers’ Adaptation to Drought

Purpose: This study mapped the global research landscape on smallholder farmers’ adaptation to drought using scientometric methods. Its aim was to identify publication trends, thematic emphases, collaborative patterns, influential sources, and evolving research frontiers to inform researchers and policymakers working to enhance smallholder resilience to drought and climate change.
Methodology: This applied scientometric study analyzed 1,765 articles indexed in Scopus from 1990 to 2024. Searches used a comprehensive set of keywords, including "drought", "drought adaptation", "adaptation strategies", "coping strategies", "adaptative capacity", "climate resilience", and "smallholder farmers". Bibliometric and network analyses were performed using R and VOSviewer software to quantify publication growth, citation impact, country and institutional collaborations, journal influence, keyword co-occurrence, thematic clustering, and temporal shifts in research focus. Data cleaning and standardization steps ensured accurate aggregation of author names, institutional affiliations, and journal titles.
Findings: The results show that during the period under review, publication volume on smallholder drought adaptation grew markedly, from 4 articles in 1990 to 285 in 2024, representing an average annual growth rate of 13.37%. This growth reflects increasing scientific and policy attention to climate extremes and the vulnerability of smallholder agricultural systems. Geographic and collaborative patterns demonstrated that the United States is the leading country in this field with 487 articles and 20,771 citations, followed by China and India. Network analysis revealed that developed countries such as the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom occupy central positions in the global collaboration network, acting as hubs that connect diverse research communities. However, developing countries — notably Iran, South Africa, and Kenya — also show significant contributions and increasing collaborative ties, indicating a growing role for regionally grounded research. These patterns highlight both global leadership and the importance of locally produced knowledge.
leading journals included Land Use Policy, Agricultural Systems, Environment, Development and Sustainability, and Sustainability. These journals combined high citation impact with substantial publication volume, signaling that the field spans applied agricultural research, land-use and policy studies, and sustainability science.
keyword co-occurrence highlighted “climate change,” “adaptation,” “resilience,” and “drought” as dominant terms and revealed six thematic clusters—(1) climate change and adaptation emphasizing adaptive capacity and resilience, (2) drought and abiotic stresses addressing direct environmental impacts, (3) agriculture and food security focused on production and supply concerns, (4) ecosystem services and sustainability underscoring biodiversity and resource management, (5) policy and risk management highlighting governance and community strategies, and (6) technology and climate data pointing to data-driven monitoring and decision-support tools.
Temporal analysis (2019–2022) showed evolution from broad emphasis on adaptation and resilience (2019–2020) to increased focus on drought, vulnerability, and adaptation dynamics (2021), and then to growing attention on food security, abiotic and heat stresses, and the integration of machine learning, artificial intelligence, and data mining in agricultural-climate research (2022 onward).
Conclusion: The scientometric evidence indicates a maturing field that increasingly integrates social, ecological, and technological perspectives. The central role of developed-country institutions suggests strong resource and capacity concentrations, while an expanding presence of researchers from developing countries points to enhanced regional engagement. Nevertheless, the citation and collaboration imbalances highlight persistent disparities in research capacity, funding, and knowledge dissemination. The identified thematic clusters demonstrate that drought adaptation research spans both immediate biophysical concerns, such as crop stress and water scarcity, and broader systemic issues, including governance, ecosystem services, and technological innovation.
Emerging research frontiers are notable. The convergence of climate impact research with artificial intelligence and big data analytics presents opportunities to refine vulnerability assessments, improve early warning systems, and design context-specific adaptation interventions. At the same time, the persistent focus on food security and abiotic stress underscores the need for applied research that translates scientific insights into scalable, locally appropriate solutions for smallholder systems.
In conclusion, scientific attention to smallholder farmers’ adaptation to drought has grown substantially over the past three decades, diversifying in thematic scope and methodological approaches. Despite progress, significant gaps remain between research production in developed and developing regions, and there is an ongoing need for locally tailored, actionable research that addresses on-the-ground constraints. Future research is likely to emphasize intersections among food security, abiotic and heat stresses, and advanced data-driven methods (machine learning, AI, and big climate datasets) to enhance drought resilience. This study provides a systematic roadmap for researchers and policymakers to prioritize collaborative, context-sensitive, and technology-enabled strategies to strengthen smallholder resilience and improve climate risk management.