scholarly journals Climate risk services for cereal farming

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 21-25
Author(s):  
Anne Gobin ◽  
Nicoletta Addimando ◽  
Christoph Ramshorn ◽  
Karl Gutbrod

Abstract. Agricultural production is largely determined by weather conditions during the crop growing season. An important aspect of crop yield estimation concerns crop growth development. The occurrence of meteorological events such as frosts, droughts or heat stress during the crop life cycle or during certain phenological stages helps explain yield fluctuations of common arable crops. We developed a methodology and visualisation tool for risk assessment, and tested the workflow for drought and frost risk for winter wheat, winter barley and grain maize in Belgium. The methodology has the potential to be extended to other extreme weather events and their impacts on crop growth in different regions of the world.

Author(s):  
Nkiru Theresa Meludu ◽  
Toyin Abolade

AbstractCoronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) is a current pandemic causing lockdown of cities and countries. The nature of this disease and the global cases are still considered as deadly all over the world. Analogous was drawn between the current COVID-19 pandemic and some of the other contemporary crises of the world as regards to climate change in addition to food shortage. Also, Survey Monkey instrument was used to generate emperical evidences from 514 respondents on covid-19 awareness and the effect on food security. Effects of diseases on climate change, such as the increasing frequency and strength of extreme weather events or the expanding range and spread of diseases was considered. Then, the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change was investigated. Prior to the pandemic, climate change already had adverse effects on agriculture and vice versa, which led to food insecurity. The need for fruits as well as leafy and root vegetables in peri-urban and urban areas is increasing, as well as the food shortage. A drop in agricultural production will be expected in the future if the pandemic continues for a few more months. The perception and adherence to the preventive measures for this pandemic were determined to reduce its spread and lessen its effect on agricultural production as well as to improve food security


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 435-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadine Fleischhut ◽  
Stefan M. Herzog ◽  
Ralph Hertwig

AbstractAs climate change unfolds, extreme weather events are on the rise worldwide. According to experts, extreme weather risks already outrank those of terrorism and migration in likelihood and impact. But how well does the public understand weather risks and forecast uncertainty and thus grasp the amplified weather risks that climate change poses for the future? In a nationally representative survey (N = 1004; Germany), we tested the public’s weather literacy and awareness of climate change using 62 factual questions. Many respondents misjudged important weather risks (e.g., they were unaware that UV radiation can be higher under patchy cloud cover than on a cloudless day) and struggled to connect weather conditions to their impacts (e.g., they overestimated the distance to a thunderstorm). Most misinterpreted a probabilistic forecast deterministically, yet they strongly underestimated the uncertainty of deterministic forecasts. Respondents with higher weather literacy obtained weather information more often and spent more time outside but were not more educated. Those better informed about climate change were only slightly more weather literate. Overall, the public does not seem well equipped to anticipate weather risks in the here and now and may thus also fail to fully grasp what climate change implies for the future. These deficits in weather literacy highlight the need for impact forecasts that translate what the weather may be into what the weather may do and for transparent communication of uncertainty to the public. Boosting weather literacy may help to improve the public’s understanding of weather and climate change risks, thereby fostering informed decisions and mitigation support.


2018 ◽  
Vol 111 (2) ◽  
pp. 393
Author(s):  
Maja PODGORNIK

The more frequent and intense extreme weather events (higher temperatures – the intensity and frequency of heat weaves, more and longer periods of drought) and weather-related diseases and pests, that have caused the greatest damage to olive production in the recent years, are a warning that urgent changes to Slovenian olive culture are needed. Due to the realisation that adaptations of agricultural production to climatic changes can have negative effects on the environment (water, soil), we conducted an experiment to determine the actual effect of adaptations of agro-technical management on the dynamics of nitrate and copper in the soil. The results of the study have shown that irrigation in combination with the technology of soil cultivation have effect on the allocation, migration and content of nitrate and copper in the soil of olive groves. Along with the fact that applied water allows the undisturbed absorption of nutrients into the plant, it can also improve the conditions for mineralisation and decomposition of organic matter, which is heavily dependent on the type of soil cultivation.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iolanda Borzì ◽  
Beatrice Monteleone ◽  
Brunella Bonaccorso ◽  
Mario Martina

<p>Drought economic impacts, even if non-structural, are a significant threat for those sectors highly dependent on water resources. Agricultural production is highly sensitive to extreme weather events such as droughts and heatwaves.  Climate change is expected to exacerbate the frequency and the severity of droughts, as stated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which raises concerns about food security for the next decades.</p><p>The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimated that between 2005 and 2015, 83% of all drought-related losses were absorbed by agriculture. The huge monetary losses are mainly due to crop yield reduction because of high temperatures and reduced precipitation, which are linked to additional expenses for field irrigation.</p><p>This study aims at estimating the economic impacts of drought on the agricultural sector. The investigation has been carried out for a specific case study area within the Po river basin (Northern Italy). The Po valley is the largest agricultural area in Italy and accounts for 35% of Italian agricultural production. It has experienced multiple droughts over the past 20 years, with the long and severe drought from 2003 to 2008 that caused relevant impacts to the agricultural sector. The total economic impact of the 2005-2007 drought was estimated to be around 1.850M€. Climate change projections over the Italian peninsula from the PRUDENCE regional experiments showed that the frequency and the severity of droughts in Northern Italy will increase in the next century due to a decrease in precipitation during critical crop growing seasons (spring and summer).</p><p>The proposed methodology consists of two steps. At first, farmers have been subjected to surveys for assessing the monetary losses they experienced during past drought events and the cost associated with the mitigation strategies implemented to reduce the economic impacts of the extreme event, with special attention to irrigation practices.</p><p>Secondly, the crop growing season and yields have been estimated using the Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator (APSIM), calibrated with local yields retrieved from the Italian National Institute for Statistics (ISTAT) over the period from 2006 to 2020. Weather parameters for simulations in APSIM were derived from remote-sensing images. The comparison between the average growing season and the ones with low yields allows the identification of the crop growing stages that experienced stress. Among the identified stresses, the ones related to water shortages are considered. The economic costs associated with agricultural practices are computed to obtain an estimation of farmers' expenses. Besides, farmers' income is computed based on crop prices and simulated yield. The reduced income obtained by farmers during the previously identified water-related stresses represents their loss due to drought.</p><p>Results reveal that the use of the developed methodology to identify drought stress in combination with the information coming from surveys helps in quickly assessing the economic impacts of past and present droughts in the Po river basin and represents a useful tool to evaluate which cultivations and which areas suffered the highest economic impacts of droughts.</p>


2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. D. Hack-ten Broeke ◽  
J. G. Kroes ◽  
R. P. Bartholomeus ◽  
J. C. van Dam ◽  
A. J. W. de Wit ◽  
...  

Abstract. For calculating the effects of hydrological measures on agricultural production in the Netherlands a new comprehensive and climate proof method is being developed: WaterVision Agriculture (in Dutch: Waterwijzer Landbouw). End users have asked for a method that considers current and future climate, that can quantify the differences between years and also the effects of extreme weather events. Furthermore they would like a method that considers current farm management and that can distinguish three different causes of crop yield reduction: drought, saline conditions or too wet conditions causing oxygen shortage in the root zone. WaterVision Agriculture is based on the hydrological simulation model SWAP and the crop growth model WOFOST. SWAP simulates water transport in the unsaturated zone using meteorological data, boundary conditions (like groundwater level or drainage) and soil parameters. WOFOST simulates crop growth as a function of meteorological conditions and crop parameters. Using the combination of these process-based models we have derived a meta-model, i.e. a set of easily applicable simplified relations for assessing crop growth as a function of soil type and groundwater level. These relations are based on multiple model runs for at least 72 soil units and the possible groundwater regimes in the Netherlands. So far, we parameterized the model for the crops silage maize and grassland. For the assessment, the soil characteristics (soil water retention and hydraulic conductivity) are very important input parameters for all soil layers of these 72 soil units. These 72 soil units cover all soils in the Netherlands. This paper describes (i) the setup and examples of application of the process-based model SWAP-WOFOST, (ii) the development of the simplified relations based on this model and (iii) how WaterVision Agriculture can be used by farmers, regional government, water boards and others to assess crop yield reduction as a function of groundwater characteristics or as a function of the salt concentration in the root zone for the various soil types.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Emily Cayford

<p>The world is currently sitting on the brink of a massive upheaval as Climate Change continues to intensify. At this stage, there is no apparent turning back: the only remaining option is to adapt. While many countries are already feeling the effects, the most vulnerable lie within the Pacific Islands.  With 70% of the Samoan population living along their coastline (The World Bank, 2016), the country is identified as one of the most vulnerable Pacific Islands. It is prone to high waves and storm surges, along with tropical cyclones, which destroy livelihoods and housing, as well as claiming lives.  The traditional architecture of Samoa was originally built to withstand such weather events, but has not been adapting to resist the increased cyclone intensity and rising sea levels. The materials and building practices currently used within Samoa do not have the properties to resist these extreme weather events.  Western building practises have been introduced and into the Samoan construction industry, but has not yet successfully been integrated. Combinations of traditional and Western building practises are, instead, resulting in buildings more vulnerable than ever. This issue remains unresolved, with unsuitable housing remaining one of the largest dilemmas currently faced by Samoa’s inhabitants.  Samoa recently graduated from the classification: Least Developed Country, to be classified as a Developing Country (Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience). This places Samoa as one of the more developed nations of the Pacific, therefore encouraging Samoa to take the lead in resilience to the ever imposing effects of Climate Change. Samoa has a close relationship with both New Zealand and Australia and therefore has access to building expertise, education and materials. Why, then, is Samoa so lacking in architectural resilience to the effects of Climate Change?  This paper endeavours to investigate this gap and, in turn provide a potential resolution. These solutions could aid other Pacific countries as well as encouraging further architectural resilience that can then be mirrored by the remaining, vulnerable countries of the Pacific.  This thesis first investigates the question:  “Why has Samoan culture not developed stronger architectural resilience against Climate Change?”  This thesis then evolves to question:  “How can Samoan architecture be hybridised to influence increased architectural resilience against Climate Change?”</p>


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis Fernando Melo-Velandia ◽  
Camilo Andrés Orozco-Vanegas ◽  
Daniel Parra-Amado

Given the importance of climate change and the increase of its severity under extreme weather events, we analyze the main drivers of high food prices in Colombia between 1985 and 2020 focusing on extreme weather shocks like a strong El Ni˜no.We estimate a non-stationary extreme value model for Colombian food prices. Our findings suggest that perishable foods are more exposed to extreme weather conditions in comparison to processed foods. In fact, an extremely low precipitation level explains only high prices in perishable foods. The risk of high perishable food prices is significantly larger for low rainfall levels (dry seasons) compared to high precipitation levels (rainy seasons). This risk gradually results in higher perishable food prices. It is non linear and is also significantly larger than the risk related to changes in the US dollar-Colombian peso exchange rate and fuel prices. Those covariates also explain high prices for both perishable and processed foods. Finally, we find that the events associated with the strongest El Ni˜no in 1988 and 2016 are expected to reoccur once every 50 years.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Hahn ◽  
Sara Ernst-Hasler ◽  
Andreas Lüscher ◽  
Ansgar Kahmen

Abstract. The frequency of extreme weather events, such as droughts, is assumed to increase leading to alterations of ecosystem productivity and thus the terrestrial carbon cycle. Although grasslands typically show reduced productivity in response to drought, their effects have been shown to vary quite dramatically. Here we tested in a two-year field experiment, if the resistance and the resilience of grasses towards drought varies throughout a growing season and if the timing of drought, thus, influences drought-induced reductions in annual net primary production (NPP) of grasses. For the experiment we grew six temperate and perennial C3 grass species in a field as monocultures. The grasses were cut six times during the growing season and subject to 10-week drought treatments that occurred either in the spring, the summer or the fall. Across all species, drought-induced losses of productivity were smaller (−20 % to −51 %) than in summer and fall (−77 % to −87 %). This suggests a higher resistance to drought in spring when the productivity of the grasses is the highest and plants are in their reproductive stage. After the release of drought, we found no prolonged suppression of growth. In contrast, post-drought growth rates of formerly drought-stressed swards outperformed the growth rates of the control swards. In 2014, the overcompensation after drought release was similar in all seasons, but differed in 2015. The strong overcompensation of growth after drought release resulted in relatively small overall drought-induced losses of annual ANPP that ranged between −4 % to −14 % and were not affected by the timing of the drought event. Our results show that (i) the resistance of growth rates in grasses to drought varies across the season and is positively correlated with growth rates in the control, (ii) that positive legacy effects of drought indicate a high resilience of temperate grasses to drought, and (iii) that the high resilience can compensate immediate drought effects on total annual biomass production to a large extent.


MAUSAM ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 183-194
Author(s):  
CH. SRINIVASA RAO RAO ◽  
G. RAVINDRA CHARY ◽  
N. RANI ◽  
V. S. BAVISKAR

Weather aberrations impact agriculture and allied sectors in one or other parts of the India round the year. Seasonal droughts and extreme weather events in 21st century have caused alarming losses not only in agricultural production but also horticulture, livestock, poultry and fisheries. ICAR-CRIDA, SAUs and DAC, MoA, GoI, prepared more than 580 district level agriculture plans within formation on contingency measures for sustaining higher agriculture production and to cope with extreme events. Real-time contingency planning (RTCP) is being conceptualized and implemented at micro level in farmers’ fields in this country. RTCP implementation during delayed onset of monsoon, seasonal droughts and floods resulted in better crop performance, higher agricultural production, better incomes and overall stability in house-hold livelihoods. In this paper, the real-contingency measures to cope with extreme events for management of horticultural crops, livestock, poultry and fisheries are proposed. Further, the preparedness for RTCP implementation with policy initiatives is also suggested.


2021 ◽  
Vol 72 (2) ◽  
pp. 71-95
Author(s):  
Kati Kraehnert ◽  
Daniel Osberghaus ◽  
Christian Hott ◽  
Lemlem Teklegiorgis Habtemariam ◽  
Frank Wätzold ◽  
...  

Abstract Extreme weather events increasingly threaten the economic situation of households and enterprises around the world. Insurance against extreme weather events is among the climate change adaptation instruments that are currently discussed by the policy community. This overview paper provides a synopsis of the state of research on insurance against extreme weather events, outlining advantages and limitations inherent in three main types of insurance: indemnity-based insurance, index-based insurance, and insurance-linked securities. The paper discusses issues related to insurance uptake, distributional effects, misleading incentives and potentially negative side effects, as well as the role of the state.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document