CLIMATE CHANGE AND NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
CLIMATE CHANGE AND NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
S. L. Lenka N.K. Lenka S.Kundu A. Subba Rao Indian Institute of Soil Science (ICAR) Bhopal- 462 038, Madhya Pradesh, India
2013
NEW INDIA PUBLISHING AGENCY Pitam Pura, New Delhi-110 088
Published by Sumit Pal Jain for
NEW INDIA PUBLISHING AGENCY 101, Vikas Surya Plaza, CU Block, L.S.C. Mkt., Pitam Pura, New Delhi-110 088, (India) Phone : 011-27341616, Fax : 011-27341717 Mobile : 09717133558 E-mail : info@nipabooks.com Web : www.nipabooks.com Š Editors, 2013
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Foreword Climate change is unequivocal and its impact on Indian agricultural production system is already felt. The associated weather extremes have profound influence on vegetation, biodiversity, livestock, soil, water and other natural resources. Challenges include not only management of scarce and diminishing natural resources like soil and water but also reducing the adverse impact on soil, vegetation, livestock etc. Agriculture can also play a significant role as a mitigating option by reducing net greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere and simultaneously improving the environment. Emissions can be curtailed by increasing efficiency of farm inputs such as fuel, fertilizers and pesticides; agroforestry interventions, adoption of carbon sequestering options and green agricultural technologies. Attention should also be given to decrease enteric emission from livestock through diet modification, shelter management and productivity enhancement. Restoration of degraded lands, afforestation and management practices that increase C inputs to soils and /or decay rates will enhance carbon build up. Adaptation of Indian agriculture to changing climate and weather extremes needs to be addressed by understanding the coping strategies for different sections and categories of producers. Adoption of conservation agriculture; suitable cultivars; changing sowing and planting dates; refined fertilizers and irrigation scheduling; land use and natural resource management; improving income from agricultural enterprises and recycling waste water and solid wastes in agriculture, are some of the options available for developing climate resilient agriculture. To counteract impending challenges of climate change in agriculture, government policy and its implementation will play important role. Farmer will adopt best management practices only if they gain in economic terms. Perceived risk and availability of crop
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insurance to farmers are some key issues to be addressed by policy makers. Indian farmers can also be benefited from carbon trading be selling their earned carbon credits from adoption of best management practices. By suitable policy interventions, farmers can also gain from international carbon market. This book “Climate Change and Natural Resource Management� comprises of 16 chapters addressing major aspects of climate change impacts on natural resource management in India. The interpretation of subject matter in each chapter is comprehensive, simple and lucid with relevant supporting data. Climate change and natural resource management are likely to be included in course curricula of graduate, post graduate and doctoral degrees in State Agricultural Universities (SAUs), and deemed universities. This book would offer a platform for basic, fundamental and advanced learning for students. It would also be useful and informative to researchers from SAUs and ICAR institutes. Even farmers could be benefited from chapters of adaptation and mitigation strategies, carbon credits and trading. I believe that this book would be of great help to students, researchers, policy makers and planners as the chapters in the book are written with the objective of meeting the requirement of all target groups and stake holders. I compliment the authors for bringing out this useful publication at a very appropriate time.
Dr. A. K. Singh DDG (NRM)
Forward
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Preface Climate change is unavoidable and associated weather extremes such as high temperature and heat waves, increased frequency of drought and high intensity rainfall causing floods are the issues of concern for Indian agriculture. Agroecosystems being the sites of intense interaction between human beings and the natural world, global climate change is likely to affect the resource base, the productivity, input use efficiency and overall the profitability of agricultural production systems. The two important weather variables key for agriculture, i.e., temperature and rainfall, projected to be affected to varying degrees at different temporal and spatial scales, have a direct effect on the natural resources such as soil and water, which are crucial for agricultural production. Thus, climate change is to affect the crop productivity in two ways: (1) the direct effect of altered weather variables, and (2) the effect of climate change on natural resources which in turn have a considerable impact on agricultural production. Hence, apart from understanding the former, it is also important to assess the latter. This book attempts to compile the relevant and latest information in the particular field with special reference to Indian context. The book is intended as a professional reference for students and researchers working on aspects related to climate change and its impact on agriculture and natural resource management. This can also be useful for policy makers with regard to issues, such as, carbon credits and climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies in context of Indian agriculture. It covers major aspects related to climate change impacts on natural resources of India. The chapters are written in a very simple language with up to date data and statistics. Apart from dealing with basic concepts of climate change and greenhouse effect, the book includes
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topics on weather extremes in India; agriculture’s role in green house gas emission; mitigation and adaptation strategies in agriculture; pest management in context of changing climate; enteric methane emission from livestock and strategies to reduce emission; feedbacks of CO 2 fertilization on soil nitrogen; prospects of carbon credits and trading in Indian agriculture, and use of simulation models in climate change research. The scattered information from original research papers, standard texts related to climate change and websites have been collected, compiled and presented by the contributing authors working in the field of climate change. With known unknowns of climate change and its consequences on natural resources and agricultural prospects in India, authors have tried their best to make the chapters lucid and simple. The authors would welcome suggestions from the readers to improve the book. IISS (Bhopal)
Editors
Preface
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List of Contributors Chaudhary, R. S., Principal Scientist & Head, Division of Soil Physics, Indian Institute of Soil Science, Berasia Road, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 462 038. Dotaniya, M. L., Scientist, Division of Environmental Soil Science, Indian Institute of Soil Science, Berasia Road, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 462 038. Indu, S., Adaptation Physiology Laboratory, Division of Physiology and Biochemistry, Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute, Avikanagar, Rajasthan 304 501. Kundu, S., Principal Scientist & Head, Division of Environmental Soil Science, Indian Institute of Soil Science, Berasia Road, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 462 038. Lenka, N. K., Senior Scientist, Indian Institute of Soil Science, Berasia Road, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 462 038. Lenka, S., Scientist, Division of Soil Physics, Indian Institute of Soil Science, Berasia Road, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 462 038. Mandal, A., Scientist, Division of Soil Biology, Indian Institute of Soil Science, Berasia Road, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 462 038. Mohanty, M., Scientist, Division of Soil Physics, Indian Institute of Soil Science, Berasia Road, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, 462 038. Neenu, S., Scientist, Division of Soil Chemistry, Indian Institute of Soil Science, Berasia Road, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 462 038. Radha, T. K., Scientist, Division of Soil Biology, Indian Institute of Soil Science, Berasia Road, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 462 038. Rajendiran, S., Scientist, Division of Environmental Soil Science, Indian Institute of Soil Science, Berasia Road, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 462038. Rama Rao, C.A., Head, Section of Design and Analysis, Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, Santoshnagar, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh 500 059.
List of Contributors
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Samuel, J., Scientist, Section of Design and Analysis, Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, Santoshnagar, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh 500 059. Saumya, B., Adaptation Physiology Laboratory, Division of Physiology and Biochemistry, Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute, Avikanagar, Rajasthan 304 501. Sejian, V., Scientist, Adaptation Physiology Laboratory, Division of Physiology and Biochemistry, Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute, Avikanagar, Rajasthan 304 501. Singh, A.K., Adaptation Physiology Laboratory, Division of Physiology and Biochemistry, Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute, Avikanagar, Rajasthan 304501. Singh, R.C., Head, Animal Energy Production Division, Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Berasia Road, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 462 038. Sinha N. K., Scientist, Division of Soil Physics, Indian Institute of Soil Science, Berasia Road, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 462 038. Srinivasa Rao M., Senior Scientist, Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, Santoshnagar, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh 500 059. Subba Rao, A., Director, Indian Institute of Soil Science, Berasia Road, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 462 038. Vassanda Coumar, M, Scientist, Division of Environmental Soil Science, Indian Institute of Soil Science, Berasia Road, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 462 038. Venkateswarlu, B., Director, Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, Santoshnagar, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh 500 059
Contents
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Contents Foreword ................................................................................. v Preface ................................................................................... vii List of Contributors ................................................................. ix
1 Greenhouse Effect and Contribution of Indian Agriculture ...................................................................... 1 – S. Lenka, N. K. Lenka and A. Subba Rao 11.1 Introduction ........................................................................................ 1 1.2
Greenhouse gases (GHGS) and greenhouse effect .......................... 2
1.3
Radiative forcing ................................................................................ 3
1.4
Global warming potential ................................................................... 6
1.5
Emission and removal of GHGs from agriculture ............................. 8
1.6
Inventory of GHGs in agriculture ..................................................... 17
1.7
Conclusion ....................................................................................... 18
2
Climate Change and Weather Extremes in India ................ 21 – N. K. Lenka
2.1 Introduction .......................................................................... 21 2.2 Weather extremes in Indian climate ..................................... 23 2.3 Are extreme events due to natural variability or due to climate change? ................................................................... 33 2.4 Implications for Indian agriculture ........................................ 34
Fi r s tf e wp a g e so ft h i sb o o ka r ep u b l i s h e d o nk i s a n . c o mb yi t sp u b l i s h e r . I fy o uwi s ht op u r c h a s eah a r d c o p y o ft h i sb o o k , p l e a s ec o n t a c tt h ep u b l i s h e r .
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