China’s Agricultural Development in Response to Climate Change

2012 ◽  
Vol 524-527 ◽  
pp. 3609-3612
Author(s):  
Wen Bao

Agricultural development, especially agricultural production in mountain areas, is fundamentally linked to climatic conditions, so any changes in climate will necessarily affect agricultural development. China’s agriculture faces several development challenges including those linked to climate change. Climate change is threatening food production systems and therefore the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people who depend on agriculture in China. Agriculture is the sector most vulnerable to climate change due to its high dependence on climate and weather and because people involved in agriculture tend to be poorer compared with urban residents. Consistent warming trends and more frequent and intense meteorological disasters have been observed across China in recent decades. In line with climate change across the whole country, it will require agricultural development to implement comprehensive mitigation and adaptation strategies.

2015 ◽  
Vol 44 (5) ◽  
pp. 8-11
Author(s):  
MC Mokolobate ◽  
A Theunissen ◽  
MM Scholtz ◽  
FWC Neser

Beef cattle are unique, because they not only suffer from climate change, but they also contribute to climate change through the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG). Mitigation and adaptation strategies are therefore needed. An effective way to reduce the carbon footprint from beef cattle would be to reduce the numbers and increase the production per animal, thereby improving their productivity. Sustainable crossbreeding systems can be an effective way to reduce GHG, as it has been shown to increase production. There are a wide range of different cattle breeds in South Africa which can be optimally utilized for effective and sustainable crossbreeding. This paper reports on the effects of crossbreeding on the kilogram calf weaned per Large Stock Unit (kgC/LSU) for 29 genotypes. These genotypes were formed by crossing Afrikaner (A) cows with Brahman (B), Charolais (C), Hereford (H) and Simmentaler (S) bulls and by back-crossing the F1 cows to the sire lines. A LSU is the equivalent of an ox of 450 kg with a daily weight gain of 500 g on grass pastures with a mean digestible energy (DE) content of 55% and a requirement of 75 MJ metabolizable energy (ME). Crossbreeding with A as dam line increased the kgC/LSU on average by 8 kg (+6%) - with the CA cross producing the most kgC/LSU (+8%) above that of the AA. The BA dam in crosses with C, H and S, increased kgC/LSU on average by 26 kg (+18%) above that of the AA dam, with the H x BA cross, producing the most kgC/LSU (+21%). The BA, CA, HA and SA F1 dam lines, back-crossed to the sire line breeds, increased kgC/LSU on average by 30 kg (21%), 21 kg (15%), 19kg (13%) and 26 kg (18%) above the that of the AA, respectively. The big differences between breeds in kgC/LSU provide the opportunity to facilitate effective crossbreeding that can be useful in the era of climate change. From this study it is clear that cow productivity can be increased by up to 21% through properly designed, sustainable crossbreeding systems, thereby reducing the carbon footprint of beef production.Keywords: Carbon footprint, cow productivity, kilogram calf, production systems


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 84-92
Author(s):  
Adrian Maho ◽  
Besnik Skënderasi ◽  
Magdalena Cara

The production of agricultural crops depends on the optimisation rate of plant genetic factors, climatic and soil factors and the level of agrochemicals. These factors are in constant dynamism and also are the production of agricultural plants. Changing in climatic conditions of the area will necessitate bring changes in the genetic resources of the plants that will be cultivated as well as in the technology of cultivation. The study analyses the thermal and pluviometry performance of the Korça field, one of the areas with the best agricultural development and on this basis is experimented with the time of potato planting and the adaption to these changes. The analysis of climate variability and trends of ecological climate factors is determining for the sustainability of agricultural production. Especially the increase in temperature indicators requires adaptation to the changes in the technology of crops cultivation. The planting time, which is essentially determined by the optimum agronomic temperature, determines the entire biological cycle of the plant by directly influencing the morphologic and plant yield. Climate changes of the last decades make experimentation necessary to determine the optimal planting terms. Sustainable agricultural development determined by long-term climate change requires adaptation to these changes.


2010 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-183
Author(s):  
Kola Odeku ◽  
Edson Meyer

AbstractThis article examines how the South African government, realizing the country's vulnerability to climate change, deemed it necessary to strengthen adaptation and mitigation measures and put in place legal and institutional frameworks to ensure implementation and compliance. Government must take responsibility for industry's inaction by implementing policies on climate change and, more importantly, through a visible change in government policy to hold industry accountable. The stringent policies and strategies being put in place are reducing vulnerability and also enhancing a broad spectrum of capacity in responding to environmental, climatic, resource and economic perturbations. The article further reviews state of the art methods and tools available to strengthen mitigation and adaptation strategies and measures in the areas of the existing frameworks regarding climate change. It also considers various measures by Eskom in particular, and strategies embarked upon by South Africa's national and local governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.


Author(s):  
AWO Sourou Malikiyou ◽  
ALE Agbachi Georges ◽  
YABI Ibouraïma

La variabilité climatique dans les communes de Djidja et de Djougou engendre des conséquences aussi bien sur les niveaux de productivités, de production que sur les revenus des exploitants agricoles. L’objectif de cette recherche est d’étudier la vulnérabilité future des systèmes de productions agricoles face aux changements climatiques dans les Communes de Djidja et de Djougou.L’approche méthodologique utilisée comprend la collecte des données, leur traitement et l’analyse des résultats. Les enquêtes ont été faites dans les villages choisis sur la base de critères bien définis (la taille de la population agricole et son implication dans la production agricole). La méthode de D. Schwartz (1995, p. 94) a permis de constituer l’échantillon de 377 producteurs. Enfin, une projection climatique sur la période 2019-2050/2075 est faite au moyen du logiciel climatique « Climate explorer ».Il ressort des résultats de l’étude que, dans la commune de Djougou, la variation au niveau de la température minimale actuelle (RCP8.5) est comprise entre -1,62°C en 1992 et 2,29°C en 2075. La température maximale quant à elle varie entre -1,40°C en 1994 à 2,18°C en 2075. C’est à partir de 2071 que l’augmentation de la température minimale va dépasser les 2°C et si rien n’est fait cette hausse va s’accroître et devenir permanente. De même, dans la commune de Djidja, la température minimale la plus élevée est observée en 2075 avec des variations de 1 à 2°C pour les RCP4.5 et RCP8.5. Au niveau de la température maximale, l’année la moins chaude est 1992 (-1,33mm/jour) pour RCP8.5 et 1991 (-1,02mm/jour) pour RCP4.5. La même évolution s’observe au niveau des températures maximales. L’année 1992 reste la plus déficitaire avec une chute de -1,60°C et l’année la plus excédentaire sera l’année 2075 avec une hausse de 2,18 mm par jour, sur la période 1992-2080. La corrélation est observée en 2042 avec une valeur de 0,322 mm par jour. L’examen des résultats révèle que les valeurs des paramètres climatiques à savoir précipitations et évaporation sont à la hausse sur la période 1980-2080 dans la commune de Djidja. Suivant la trajectoire actuelle, RCP8.5, les années les plus arrosées sont 2037, 2070 et 2073 avec respectivement des variations égales à 0,17mm et 0,27mm de pluie par jour. Face à ces difficultés, les populations agricoles adoptent des mesures pour contrer les contraintes climatiques.ABSTRACTClimatic variability in the communes of Djidja and Djougou has consequences both on the levels of productivity and production and on the income of farmers. The objective of this research is to study the vulnerability of agricultural production systems to climate change in the Communes of Djidja and Djougou.The methodological approach used includes data collection, processing and analysis of the results. The surveys were carried out in the villages chosen on the basis of well-defined criteria (the size of the agricultural population and its involvement in agricultural production). The method of D. Schwartz (1995, p. 94) made it possible to constitute the sample of 377 producers. Finally, a climate projection over the period 2019-2050 / 2075 is made using the climate software "Climate explorer".The results of the study show that, in the municipality of Djougou, the variation in the current minimum temperature (RCP8.5) is between -1.62 ° C in 1992 and 2.29 ° C in 2075. The maximum temperature varies between -1.40 ° C in 1994 to 2.18 ° C in 2075. It is from 2071 that the increase in the minimum temperature will exceed 2 ° C and if nothing is In fact, this increase will increase and become permanent. Similarly, in the municipality of Djidja, the highest minimum temperature is observed in 2075 withvariations of 1 to 2 ° C for RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. At maximum temperature, the coolest year is 1992 (-1.33mm / day) for RCP8.5 and 1991 (-1.02mm / day) for RCP4.5. The same development can be observed at the level of maximum temperatures. The year 1992 remains the most in deficit with a fall of -1.60 ° C and the year the most in surplus will be the year 2075 with an increase of 2.18mm per day, over the period 1992-2080. The correlation is observed in 2042 with a value of 0.322 mm per day. Examination of the results reveals that the values of climatic parameters, namely precipitation and evaporation, are on the rise over the period 1980-2080 in the municipality of Djidja. Following the current trajectory, RCP8.5, the wettest years are 2037, 2070 and 2073 with respectively variations equal to 0.17mm and 0.27mm of rain per day. Faced with these difficulties, agricultural populations are adopting measures to counter climatic constraints. Keywords: Djidja, Djougou, vulnerability, production system, agriculture, climate change.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matti Kummu ◽  
Matias Heino ◽  
Maija Taka ◽  
Olli Varis ◽  
Daniel Viviroli

<p>The majority of global food production, as we know it, is based on agricultural practices developed within stable Holocene climate conditions. Climate change is altering the key conditions for human societies, such as precipitation, temperature and aridity. Their combined impact on altering the conditions in areas where people live and grow food has not yet, however, been systematically quantified on a global scale. Here, we estimate the impacts of two climate change scenarios (RCP 2.6, RCP 8.5) on major population centres and food crop production areas at 5 arc-min scale (~10 km at equator) using Holdridge Life Zones (HLZs), a concept that incorporates all the aforementioned climatic characteristics. We found that if rapid growth of GHG emissions is not halted (RCP 8.5), in year 2070, one fifth of the major food production areas and one fourth of the global population centres would experience climate conditions beyond the ones where food is currently produced, and people are living. Our results thus reinforce the importance of following the RCP 2.6 path, as then only a small fraction of food production (5%) and population centres (6%) would face such unprecedented conditions. Several areas experiencing these unprecedented conditions also have low resilience, such as those within Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Chad, and Guinea-Bissau. In these countries over 75% of food production and population would experience unprecedented climatic conditions under RCP 8.5. These and many other hotspot areas require the most urgent attention to secure sustainable development and equity.</p>


2015 ◽  
Vol 49 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Savita Ahlawat ◽  
Dhian Kaur

At present, climate change is one of the most challenging environmental issues as it poses potential threat to different sectors of economy at global level. Agriculture being an open activity is primarily dependent on climatic factors and change in climatic conditions affects the production, quality and quantity of crop production in an area. This paper attempts to study effects of only two parameters of climate i.e. temperature and rainfall on agricultural production in northwest region of India. Northwest region comprising of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu Kashmir states is the greatest food bowl of India contributing to its food security. The analysis of mean monthly rainfall and maximum and minimum temperatures (1901-2006) shows no significant change in temperature and rainfall conditions from 1901 to 1960; but afterward the change is more pronounced. On the whole any significant change in climatic conditions will not only challenge the food production of the region but also challenge the country’s food security situation.


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