scholarly journals Climate Change, Pesticides and Health: Considering the Risks and Opportunities of Adaptation for Zimbabwean Smallholder Cotton Growers

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 121
Author(s):  
Cliff Zinyemba ◽  
Emma Archer ◽  
Hanna-Andrea Rother
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Pesticide Use ◽  
Adaptive Responses ◽  
Adverse Health Outcomes ◽  
Adaptation Practices

There is potential for increased pesticide-related adverse health outcomes in the agricultural sector linked to adaptive increases in pesticide use necessitated, in part, by climate change-related increases in pest populations. To understand the role of adaptation practices in pesticide use and health risks, this study assessed Zimbabwean smallholder cotton farmers’ adaptive responses linked to their climate change perceptions. In depth interviews were conducted with 50 farmers who had been growing cotton for at least 30 years. The study identified farmers’ adaptation practices that increased their pesticide use, as well as those that presented opportunities for reducing pesticide use through non-pesticide-dependent adaptation pathways. The findings show that due to perceived climate change impacts, such as a shorter growing season, farmers were adopting a range of adaptive practices. These included changes in pest management practices, such as increasing pesticide spraying frequencies due to keeping ratoon crops, which were increasing farmers’ overall pesticide use. Such incremental adaptive practices are potentially maladaptive, as they may increase farmers’ pesticide-related health risks. Other practices, however, such as reducing cotton acreage and diversifying crops, resulting in transformational adaptation, suggest the existence of opportunities for decreasing overall pesticide use or totally eliminating pesticides from the farming system.

scholarly journals Agricultural adaptation strategies to climate change impacts in Africa: a review

2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 407-418 ◽  
Author(s):  
OM Akinnagbe ◽  
IJ Irohibe
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Adaptation Strategies ◽  
Cropping Pattern ◽  
Adaptation To Climate Change ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Agricultural Adaptation ◽  
Resistant Varieties

Climate change is expected to intensify existing problems and create new combinations of risks, particularly in Africa. The situation is made worst due to factor such as widespread poverty, over dependence on rain fed agriculture, inequitable land distribution, limited access to capital and technology, inadequate public infrastructure, such as roads, long term weather forecasts and inadequate research and extension. By lessening the severity of key damages to the agricultural sector, adaptation is the key defensive measure. Adaptation to climate change involves changes in agricultural management practices in response to changes in climate conditions. This paper reviews agricultural adaptation strategies employed by farmers in various countries in Africa in cushioning the effects of climate change. The common agricultural adaptation strategies used by farmers were the use of drought resistant varieties of crops, crop diversification, changes in cropping pattern and calendar of planting, conserving soil moisture through appropriate tillage methods, improving irrigation efficiency, and afforestation and agro-forestry. The paper concluded that improving and strengthening human capital through education, outreach programmes, extension services at all levels will improve capacity to adapt to climate change impact. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjar.v39i3.21984 Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 39(3): 407-418, September 2014

scholarly journals Attitude Changes of Stakeholders towards Climate Change Adaptation Policies in Agricultural Sector by Online Deliberation

Climate ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 75
Author(s):  
Kenshi Baba ◽  
Eri Amanuma ◽  
Motoko Kosugi
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Adaptation ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Online Deliberation ◽  
Pros And Cons ◽  
Adaptation Policies ◽  
Attitude Changes

This study set up online virtual communities consisting of farmers and stakeholders involved in agriculture and nonfarmers living in rural areas interested in agricultural production. We conducted a deliberation within the communities for 14 days on identifying important climate change adaptation policies for 30 years later under climate change impacts with the relevant knowledge from experts. During the deliberation, after self-introduction took place including the realization of climate change impacts, the participants were provided with the expert knowledge on impacts of climate change, adaptation policies in agricultural sector and so on, then the following discussions covered issues such as the distribution of agricultural produce, insufficient successors, and support for farmers, such as impacts on crops during disasters concerning future scenarios. Attitude changes before and after deliberation were observed in terms of the pros and cons of climate change adaptation policies in agriculture and rural areas, but statistically significant differences were not observed. On the other hand, a statistically significant change was observed in some determinants of the pros and cons, such as the perceived effectiveness and goal intention. This structural change results from that the participants became aware of a different perspective through deliberation. Thus, the online deliberation process was effective to some extent in increasing knowledge and promoting deeper understanding among participants during inquiry and reasoning was deepened in the process as they listened to the opinions of others in a different position with a different idea as well as read and search for scientific findings and information provided by experts.

Droughts, floods and freshwater ecosystems: evaluating climate change impacts and developing adaptation strategies

2011 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison Aldous ◽  
James Fitzsimons ◽  
Brian Richter ◽  
Leslie Bach
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Climate Adaptation ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Freshwater Ecosystems ◽  
Adaptation Strategies ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Eastern Australia

Climate change is expected to have significant impacts on hydrologic regimes and freshwater ecosystems, and yet few basins have adequate numerical models to guide the development of freshwater climate adaptation strategies. Such strategies can build on existing freshwater conservation activities, and incorporate predicted climate change impacts. We illustrate this concept with three case studies. In the Upper Klamath Basin of the western USA, a shift in land management practices would buffer this landscape from a declining snowpack. In the Murray–Darling Basin of south-eastern Australia, identifying the requirements of flood-dependent natural values would better inform the delivery of environmental water in response to reduced runoff and less water. In the Savannah Basin of the south-eastern USA, dam managers are considering technological and engineering upgrades in response to more severe floods and droughts, which would also improve the implementation of recommended environmental flows. Even though the three case studies are in different landscapes, they all contain significant freshwater biodiversity values. These values are threatened by water allocation problems that will be exacerbated by climate change, and yet all provide opportunities for the development of effective climate adaptation strategies.

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>

The Caribbean's Response to Climate Change Impacts

2017 ◽  
pp. 713-738
Author(s):  
Steve Maximay
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Regional Level ◽  
Development Discourse ◽  
Caribbean Islands ◽  
Vulnerability To Climate Change ◽  
Chronological Sequence ◽  
The Caribbean

To fully appreciate climate change impacts and adaptations in the Caribbean, several aspects of the phenomenon and the region's response must be placed in historical and chronological sequence. This chapter starts with a review of the Caribbean islands, focusing on the agricultural sector and its vulnerability to climate change impacts. It then provides a brief review of the Caribbean's foray into organized planning for climate change; the early advocacy of those who believed the issue was a serious threat to the region, and the projects that were developed. It also traces organized institutional level responses, some national efforts, and the degree to which climate change issues have now become part of the routine agricultural development discourse. An overview of the possible climate change impacts and the programmed adaptations at a regional level are presented, and the chapter ends with a look at the importance of communication to raise awareness and ultimately change behaviours.

Climate, Oceans, and the Law of Special and General Adaptation

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. Rashid Sumaila
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Climate Impacts ◽  
Adaptive Responses ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
General Adaptation ◽  
The Law ◽  
Adaptation Law ◽  
Private Actors ◽  
International Fisheries

This chapter describes the literature of adaptation law in the context of international ocean governance. Adaptation law consists of rules aimed at minimizing the social costs associated with human response to climate impacts. These can be used to shape the behaviour of private actors or public institutions. The law sometimes might provide incentives to make enterprises more resilient as it makes capital unnecessarily stranded during climate change. In order to illustrate the challenges of implementation in the ocean context, the chapter focuses on two examples: international fisheries and ‘mari-engineering’. International fisheries represent ongoing ocean use and regulated by a well-developed body of international law. Due to the wide range of possible climate impacts and adaptive responses, proactive changes to existing fisheries rules in anticipation of climate change fit into the category of general adaptation law, while mari-engineering is engineering the seas to slow or halt climate change impacts.

scholarly journals Climate change impacts on the terrestrial biodiversity and carbon stocks of Oceania.

2011 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grant W Wardell-Johnson ◽  
Gunnar Keppel ◽  
Julianne Sander
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
Anthropogenic Climate Change ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Area Network ◽  
Terrestrial Biodiversity

We review the threats from anthropogenic climate change to the terrestrial biodiversity of Oceania, and quantify decline in carbon stocks. Oceania’s rich terrestrial biodiversity is facing unprecedented threats through the interaction of pervasive environmental threats (deforestation and degradation; introduced and invasive species; fragmentation) and the effects of anthropogenic climate change (sea level rise; altered rainfall patterns and increased fire frequency; temperature rises and increased storm severity, extreme weather events and abrupt system changes). All nine of Oceania’s terrestrial biomes harbour ecosystems and habitat types that are highly vulnerable under climate change, posing an immense conservation challenge. Current policies and management practices are inadequate and the need for new legislation and economic mechanisms is clear, despite powerful interests committed to limiting progress. Mitigation can be achieved by increasing the effectiveness of the protected area network, by maintaining and effectively managing existing carbon stocks and biodiversity, and by reforestation to sequester atmospheric carbon. A price on carbon emissions may encourage less carbon-intensive energy use while simultaneously encouraging reforestation on long-cleared land, and reducing degradation of native forests. However, realizing these changes will require societal change, and depend on input and collaboration from multiple stakeholders to devise and engage in shared, responsible management.

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