Impacts of Present and Future Climate Variability and Change on Agriculture and Forestry in the Arid and Semi-Arid Tropics

Sivakumar, M. V. K.; Das, H. P.; Brunini, Orivaldo

doi:10.1007/1-4020-4166-7_4

Cited by 65 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 47 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at: www.emeraldinsight.com/1756-8692.htm Perceptions of climate change 327 acknowledged that climate change particularly represents a serious developmental challenge in the drier regions of Africa (Huq et al, 2004;Dietz et al, 2004;Sivakumar et al, 2005;Odada et al, 2008;Mertz et al, 2009), where many people depend on rain-fed agriculture and ecosystem services for their livelihoods (Davies, 1996;Van der Geest, 2011). In view of the negative effects of climate change, climate scientists have, for a long time, depended on statistical models to measure changes in climatic parameters and to predict their impacts on various segments of society (Held et al, 2005;Weber, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In view of the negative effects of climate change, climate scientists have, for a long time, depended on statistical models to measure changes in climatic parameters and to predict their impacts on various segments of society (Held et al, 2005;Weber, 2010). As a result of the belief that local perceptions of climate change do not correspond with the scientific record, local people's knowledge of climate variability was not adequately explored in most of the earlier studies by climate scientists (Sivakumar et al, 2005;Maddison, 2006; van Aalst et al, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Local farmers’ experiences and perceptions of climate change in the Northern Savannah zone of Ghana

Teye

Yaro

Bawakyillenuo

2015

International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the perceptions and experiences of climate change by local farmers in the Northern Savannah zone of Ghana. Although recent scholarship shows that local people’s perceptions of climate change is necessary for devising strategies to deal with the problem, only a few researchers have examined local knowledge of climate change in Africa. Design/methodology/approach – Primary data were collected from six rural communities in the Northern Savannah zone of Ghana, using a questionnaire survey on a sample of 530 farmers, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Multinomial logistic regression was used to analyse variations in experience and perception of climate change. Findings – A majority of the farmers have noticed rising temperatures and declining rainfall. Their observations largely correspond with the evidence of changes recorded by weather monitoring stations. The perception of climate change is associated with locality of residence, gender and ownership of radio. The impacts of climate and variability include declining crop output, food insecurity and water stress. Respondents attributed changes in climatic parameters to economic activities and spiritual factors. It is recommended that environmental managers should actively involve local farmers in the design and implementation of policies to control climate change and variability. Originality/value – The methodology used demonstrates how multinomial logit models can be used to investigate perceptions of climate change. The research findings also provide very useful information that can be relied upon to design policies to deal with climate change and variability in Ghana.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local farmers’ experiences and perceptions of climate change in the Northern Savannah zone of Ghana

Teye

Yaro

Bawakyillenuo

2015

International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Sivakumar et al (2005) pointed out that the arid and semiarid regions account for approximately 30% of the world total area and are inhabited by 1.1 billion people or approximately 20% of the total world population. Sivakumar et al (2005) described the agricultural climate of the arid and semiarid tropical regions in Asia, Africa and Latin America, which is characterized by low and variable rainfall and consistently high temperatures during the growing season. According to Zhao et al (2005), humid and subhumid tropical conditions are found over nearly 50% of the tropical land mass and 20% of the earth's total land surface.…”

Section: Tropical Regionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is interesting to note the observations of Sivakumar et al (2005) that in certain agroecological zones such as the southern Sahelian zone of West Africa, where the predominant soils are sandy in nature, increased mean temperature could affect the maximum temperatures at the soil surface substantially. They pointed out that surface soil temperatures could exceed even 60 • C and that under such temperatures, enzyme degradation will limit photosynthesis and growth.…”

Section: Tropical Regionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The agriculture sector here is potentially highly vulnerable to climate change because of degradation of the limited arable land. Sivakumar et al (2005) referred to studies in Asia that showed adverse effects on sorghum in rainfed areas of India, for corn yields in the Philippines and on the tea industry of Sri Lanka. Sivakumar et al (2005) referred to several studies aimed at understanding the nature and magnitude of gains/losses in yield of particular crops at selected sites in Asia under elevated CO 2 conditions (e.g., Luo and Lin, 1999).…”

Section: Tropical Regionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Reducing Vulnerability of Agriculture and Forestry to Climate Variability and Change: Workshop Summary and Recommendations

2005

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The International Workshop on Reducing Vulnerability of Agriculture and Forestry to Climate Variability and Climate Change held in Ljubljana, Solvenia, from 7 to 9 October 2002 addressed a range of important issues relating to climate variability, climate change, agriculture, and forestry including the state of agriculture and forestry and agrometeological information, and potential adaptation strategies for agriculture and forestry to changing climate conditions and other pressures. There is evidence that global warming over the last millennium has already resulted in increased global average annual temperature and changes in rainfall, with the 1990s being likely the warmest decade in the Northern Hemisphere at least. During the past century, changes in temperature patterns have, for example, had a direct impact on the number of frost days and the length of growing seasons with significant implications for agriculture and forestry. Land cover changes, changes in global ocean circulation and sea surface temperature patterns, and changes in the composition of the global atmosphere are leading to changes in rainfall. These changes may be more pronounced in the tropics. For example, crop varieties grown in the Sahel may not be able to withstand the projected warming trends and will certainly be at risk due to projected lower amounts of rainfall as well. Seasonal to interannual climate forecasts will definitely improve in the future with a better understanding of dynamic relationships. However, the main issue at present is how to make better use of the existing information and dispersion of knowledge to the farm level. Direct participation by the farming communities in pilot projects on agrometeorological services will be essential to determine the actual value of forecasts and to better identify the specific user needs. Old (visits, extension radio) and new (internet) communication techniques, when adapted to local applications, may assist in the dissemination of useful information to the farmers and decision makers. Some farming systems with an inherent resilience may adapt more readily to climate pressures, making long-term adjustments to varying and changing conditions. Other systems will need interventions for adaptation that should be more strongly supported by agrometeorological services for agricultural producers. This applies, among others, to systems where pests and diseases play an important role. Scientists have to guide policy makers in fostering an environment in which adaptation strategies can be effected. There is a clear need for integrating preparedness for climate variability and climate change. In developed countries, a trend of higher yields, but with greater annual fluctuations and changes in cropping patterns and crop calendars can be expected with changing climate scenarios. Shifts in projected cropping patterns can be disruptive to rural societies in general. However, developed countries have the technology to adapt more readily to the projected climate changes. In many developing countries, ...

show abstract

A coupled human‐natural systems analysis of irrigated agriculture under changing climate

Giuliani

Castelletti

et al. 2016

Water Resources Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Exponentially growing water demands and increasingly uncertain hydrologic regimes due to changes in climate and land use are challenging the sustainability of agricultural water systems. Farmers must adapt their management strategies in order to secure food production and avoid crop failures. Investigating the potential for adaptation policies in agricultural systems requires accounting for their natural and human components, along with their reciprocal interactions. Yet this feedback is generally overlooked in the water resources systems literature. In this work, we contribute a novel modeling approach to study the coevolution of irrigated agriculture under changing climate, advancing the representation of the human component within agricultural systems by using normative meta‐models to describe the behaviors of groups of farmers or institutional decisions. These behavioral models, validated against observational data, are then integrated into a coupled human‐natural system simulation model to better represent both systems and their coevolution under future changing climate conditions, assuming the adoption of different policy adaptation options, such as cultivating less water demanding crops. The application to the pilot study of the Adda River basin in northern Italy shows that the dynamic coadaptation of water supply and demand allows farmers to avoid estimated potential losses of more than 10 M€/yr under projected climate changes, while unilateral adaptation of either the water supply or the demand are both demonstrated to be less effective. Results also show that the impact of the different policy options varies as function of drought intensity, with water demand adaptation outperforming water supply adaptation when drought conditions become more severe.

show abstract

Impacts of Present and Future Climate Variability and Change on Agriculture and Forestry in the Arid and Semi-Arid Tropics

Cited by 65 publications

References 47 publications

Local farmers’ experiences and perceptions of climate change in the Northern Savannah zone of Ghana

Local farmers’ experiences and perceptions of climate change in the Northern Savannah zone of Ghana

Reducing Vulnerability of Agriculture and Forestry to Climate Variability and Change: Workshop Summary and Recommendations

A coupled human‐natural systems analysis of irrigated agriculture under changing climate

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About