Traditional agricultural knowledge in land management: the potential contributions of ethnographic research to climate change adaptation in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
M.G. Rivera-ferre ◽  
M. Di Masso ◽  
I. Vara ◽  
M. Cuellar ◽  
F. López-i-Gelats ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Adaptation ◽  
Land Management ◽  
Ethnographic Research ◽  
Agricultural Knowledge

Nature-Based Solutions to face climate change adaptation and mitigation in Mediterranean watersheds

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Itxaso Ruiz ◽  
María José Sanz
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Adaptation ◽  
Land Management ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Water Cycle ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Watershed Scale ◽  
Sustainable Rural Development ◽  
Adaptation And Mitigation

<p>Rural areas of the Mediterranean watersheds face great environmental challenges, where climate change impacts the water cycle, the soil, and biodiversity, which are often priority issues for adaptation. These, have been aggravated by historical land management practices trends. In this context, we propose Nature Based Solutions (NBS) in the form of Sustainable Land Management (SLM) actions at the watershed scale to achieve climate change adaptation and mitigation while promoting other ecosystem services.</p><p>SLM actions are local adaptation practices that promote sustainable rural development. Thus, we seek the combination of several actions to achieve regional (watershed scale) more integrated approaches. With this study, we aim at proving that NBS, and thus SLM, is a successful tool for alleviating climate change impacts (i.e. water scarcity, enhanced erosion, biodiversity decline) while promoting the role of land in mitigation and enhancing biodiversity in the rural Mediterranean areas.</p><p>For this, we propose a novel conceptualization of SLM actions that moves from their local application and evaluation to the regional more systemic approaches through their combination. Results show synergies in the atmosphere, biosphere, and hydrosphere, allow for the upscaling of SLM through systemic approaches and point at direct contributions to several Sustainable Development Goals.</p>

scholarly journals Knowledge politics in participatory climate change adaptation research on agroecology in Malawi

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 238-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Bezner Kerr ◽  
Hanson Nyantakyi-Frimpong ◽  
Laifolo Dakishoni ◽  
Esther Lupafya ◽  
Lizzie Shumba ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Climate Change Adaptation ◽  
Social Inequalities ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Environmental Implications ◽  
Changing Climate ◽  
Agricultural Knowledge ◽  
Sources Of Knowledge

AbstractClimate change is projected to have severe implications for smallholder agriculture in Africa, with increased temperatures, increased drought and flooding occurrence, and increased rainfall variability. Given these projections, there is a need to identify effective strategies to help rural communities adapt to climatic risks. Yet, relatively little research has examined the politics and social dynamics around knowledge and sources of information about climate-change adaptation with smallholder farming communities. This paper uses a political ecology approach to historically situate rural people's experiences with a changing climate. Using the concept of the co-production of knowledge, we examine how Malawian smallholder farmers learn, perceive, share and apply knowledge about a changing climate, and what sources they draw on for agroecological methods in this context. As well, we pay particular attention to agricultural knowledge flows within and between households. We ask two main questions: Whose knowledge counts in relation to climate-change adaptation? What are the political, social and environmental implications of these knowledge dynamics? We draw upon a long-term action research project on climate-change adaptation that involved focus groups, interviews, observations, surveys, and participatory agroecology experiments with 425 farmers. Our findings are consistent with other studies, which found that agricultural knowledge sources were shaped by gender and other social inequalities, with women more reliant on informal networks than men. Farmers initially ranked extension services as important sources of knowledge about farming and climate change. After farmers carried out participatory agroecological research, they ranked their own observation and informal farmer networks as more important sources of knowledge. Contradictory ideas about climate-change adaptation, linked to various positions of power, gaps of knowledge and social inequalities make it challenging for farmers to know how to act despite observing changes in rainfall. Participatory agroecological approaches influenced adaptation strategies used by smallholder farmers in Malawi, but most still maintained the dominant narrative about climate-change causes, which focused on local deforestation by rural communities. Smallholder farmers in Malawi are responsible for <1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet our results show that the farmers often blame their own rural communities for changes in deforestation and rainfall patterns. Researchers need to consider differences knowledge and power between scientists and farmers and the contradictory narratives at work in communities to foster long-term change.

scholarly journals Transformational adaptation: agriculture and climate change

2012 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 240 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Rickards ◽  
S. M. Howden
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Climate Change Adaptation ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
Role Of Government ◽  
Agricultural Knowledge ◽  
Marginal Change ◽  
Multiple Dimensions ◽  
Key Issues

Climate change presents the need and opportunity for what the Stern report called ‘major, non-marginal change’. Such transformational adaptation is rapidly emerging as a serious topic in agriculture. This paper provides an overview of the topic as it applies to agriculture, focusing on the Australian situation. It does so by first defining transformational adaptation, distinguishing it from other more incremental but overlapping modes of climate change adaptation and positing its emergence in agriculture as a response to both drivers and opportunities. The multiple dimensions of transformational adaptation are highlighted before two types or cases are focussed upon in order to tease out issues and highlight two major examples of transformation in agriculture in the past. Four key issues about climate change adaptation in agriculture particularly pertinent for transformational adaptation are then reviewed: the identification, level, distribution and management of the costs of adaptation; the definition, potential for and need to avoid maladaptation; the capacity demands that this level of adaptation presents; and the role of government in adaptation. Overall, transformational adaptation poses potential great gains but also great risks. It reinforces the realisation that agricultural research can no longer remain insulated from off-farm, non-science or non-agricultural knowledge or processes. Support and guidance of transformational adaptation requires that we understand how Australian agriculture is currently, and could be, positioned within the landscape, rural communities, and broader social, political and cultural environment.

Dynamics of Approaches to Disseminate Measures for Sustainable Land Management and Adaptation to Climate Change within Agricultural Holdings in the Zou Department

2020 ◽  
pp. 68-76
Author(s):  
Edmond Yetongnon ◽  
Julien Avakoudjo ◽  
Félix Kouelo Alladassi ◽  
Lambert Agodo ◽  
Roch L. Mongbo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Adaptation ◽  
Land Management ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Soil Protection ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Sustainable Land Management ◽  
Adaptation To Climate Change ◽  
Adaptation Measures ◽  
Radio Broadcast

The restoration and preservation of terrestrial ecosystems are important challenges for human beings and are subject of many initiatives and intervention approaches. The present paper focuses on the dissemination approaches of sustainable land management and climate change adaptation (SLM/ CCA) measures implemented under the Soil Protection and Rehabilitation for Food Security Project. The influence of changes in these dissemination approaches on the adoption of SLM/ CCA by farmers in the department of Zou were analyzed. A survey was conducted on 150 farmers who are adopters and non-adopters of the targeted measures. These farmers were randomly selected in nine villages in the department of Zou. Interviews were carried out with the team of the project. As methodological approach, 150 farmers were randomly sampled in nine villages of the department of Zou. In addition, interviews were carried out with the project team. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, as well as Chi-square and Pearson's correlation tests. The results showed that the dynamics noted in the dissemination approaches influence the adoption of sustainable land management and climate change adaptation measures, depending on the main activity and the farm total area of the farmers. In addition, adopters of SLM/CCA measures are more affected by the "SOL-Mobil" (98.0%) and "ProSOL Technician" (85.1%) approaches. They are less affected by the “Relay producer” (41.8%) and “Radio broadcast” (4.4%) approaches. Non-adopters are affected by the “ProSOL Technician” (63%) and “Relay Producer” (33.3%) approaches. However, they are less aware of the “Radio broadcast” approach (33.3%) and not affected by the “SOL-Mobil” approach. It is therefore important to take into account the diversity of farmers when implementing these approaches.

scholarly journals SUSTAINABLE DIVERSIFIED AGRICULTURE AND LAND MANAGEMENT IN THE HIMALAYA: IMPLICATIONS FOR CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 40
Author(s):  
R. M. Bajracharya ◽  
K. Atreya ◽  
N. Raut ◽  
H. L. Shrestha ◽  
D. K. Gautam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Adaptation ◽  
Land Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Land Resource ◽  
Pastoral Systems ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
Agro Forestry ◽  
The Himalaya

The soil and land resources play a vital role in sustaining the local livelihoods of rural communities in the Himalaya. Most of the arable land has already been brought under cultivation, hence the ever-increasing demand for food and fiber has left farmers with no choice but to intensify agriculture. However, producing more crops and greater quantities of food, fiber and other materials on the same parcel of land can to soil fertility and productivity decline with overall degradation of land quality. Therefore, ways and means to intensify agriculture to enhance productivity without degrading the soil and land resource base have become imperative. Agro-forestry, agro-slivi-pastoral systems, and the adoption of a variety of crop, soil and water management and conservation practices offer potential to deliver multiple benefits without sacrificing the very resource upon which the human population depends. Presented herein are findings on approaches to sustainable intensification of agriculture and land management related to soil OM management and C sequestration for multiple benefits, and, agro-forestry as a crop diversification strategy with both livelihood, and climate change adaptation/mitigation benefits. The results indicate that sustainable soil management practices could lead to significant SOC accumulations (4-8 t/ha over 6 yrs). SOC and soil C stocks tend to increase with elevation due to cooler climate and slow decomposition rates. Carbon stocks for the 3 LU types was in the order CF>AF/LH>AG, suggesting that diversified cropping practices including agro-forestry have good potential sequester C while providing livelihood opportunities and climate adaptive capacity for local farming communities. Biochar amendment increased growth of both coffee plants and radish with mixed grass/weed biochar being most effective. Biochar application also significantly decreased emission of GHGs, especially N2O.

scholarly journals Territorial Conflicts, Agency and the Strategic Appropriation of Interventions in Kenya’s Southern Drylands

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 4156
Author(s):  
Angela Kronenburg García
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Adaptation ◽  
Historical Perspective ◽  
Ethnographic Research ◽  
Land Loss ◽  
Relational Dynamics ◽  
Territorial Conflict ◽  
Territorial Conflicts ◽  
Local Contexts ◽  
Beneficiary Community

A number of scholars have noted that interventions, such as development programmes and climate change adaptation projects, that simplify complex social realities and thus lose sight of the relational dynamics beyond the target or beneficiary group, risk contributing to conflict. This article examines how a series of interventions in a particular dryland area in southern Kenya became embroiled in a long-running territorial conflict between the Loita Maasai (the beneficiary community) and their neighbours, the non-beneficiary Purko Maasai. Based on ethnographic research and by taking a historical perspective, it shows how Loita Maasai leaders systematically appropriated these outside interventions, used and reworked them with the strategic aim of stopping land loss to ongoing Purko encroachment. The analysis reveals two ways in which Loita leaders realized this: (a) by using interventions to stake out spatial claims to land; and (b) by capitalizing on the tendency of interventions to simplify local contexts. This article contributes to the debate on the linkages between intervention and conflict by highlighting the agency of intervention beneficiaries and showing that, through their actions, interventions may unwittingly reproduce and even aggravate existing conflicts.

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