GLOBAL WARMING

AGRICULTURE

AND

LEADERSHIP FOR

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

DR. KIRIT N SHELAT, I.A.S (RTD)

Email ID: kiritshelat@hotmail.com

12th National Conference on

Responding to Global Climate Change and Community Education – 19-21st Feb 2009

At Indian Institution of Education - Pune

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT  Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but in the indefinite future

Sustainable development as development that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

It is growth oriented - of natural and all other resources.

Sustainable development provides incremental values to all participants.

GREEN HOUSE EFFECTThe greenhouse effect refers to the change in the steady state temperature by the presence of an atmosphere containing gas that absorbs and emits infrared radiation. The greenhouse gases trap heat within the surface-troposphere system.

Nitrogen, oxygen, and argon make up 98 percent of the Earth’s atmosphere. But they do not absorb significant amounts of infrared radiation, and thus do not contribute to the greenhouse effect.

It is like water vapour, carbon dioxide, ozone, methane, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons that absorb heat and increase atmospheric temperatures.

 Increased heat has an impact on climate – weather becomes unpredictable – wild. This has manifold consequences on habitats all over the world – none of which seem pleasant

GREEN HOUSE EFFECT

Of the human-produced greenhouse gases, the one that contributes the bulk in terms of radioactive forcing is carbon dioxide. CO2. production from increased industrial activity (fossil

fuel burning) and other human activities such as cement production and tropical deforestation has increased the concentrations in the atmosphere.

The concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere

increased from 285 ppm at the end of the nineteenth century, before the industrial revolution, to about 366 ppm in 1998 (equivalent to a 28-percent increase). As a consequence of anthropogenic emissions of about 405 giatonnes of carbon ( C ) (±60 gigatonnes C) into the atmosphere (IPCC, 2001)*

*IPCC 2001: Climate change the scientific basis: Cambridge, UK, Cambridge University Press.

 

 

CLIMATE CHANGE CAUSES NATURAL DISASTERS THAT CREATE

Loss of lifeLoss of Agriculture crops and animalsLoss of livelihoodLoss of health and quality of lifeIncreased risk of diseases outbreakDamage to infrastructure and communication – particularly rural areas. Setbacks to social and economic development. Pushing people in rural areas again back within poverty line.

SOME NATURAL DISASTURES IN RECENT YEARS IN INDIA AND EFFECTS

India like other countries in the world have had natural disasters but its recurrence has enhanced in the new millennium.

Gujarat Earthquake 2001: The Bhuj earthquake that shook Gujarat was a most deadly earthquake to strike India.

The death toll of 19,727.Injured at 166,000. 6 lacks people homeless 348,000 houses destroyed20,000 cattle killed. Estimated losses at $ 1.3 billion. The Earth continues to simmer thereafter and there are in numberable mild earth quakes in Gujarat – thereafter days in and days out.

SOME NATURAL DISASTURES IN RECENT YEARS IN INDIA AND ITS EFFECTS

Tsunami December 2004– affected Andaman & Nicobar, Pondicherry, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh loss of Agri crops, cattle wealth, housing and livelihood. Mumbai Floods – 26th July 2005 –city got paralyzed and floods in Maharashtra Surat Flood (2006) – Estimated loss of Rs.22,000 crore. City’s infrastructure affected, individual losses and crops like sugarcane (Rs4,000 crore) were lost.

Heavy rains in 2007 in Rajasthan with flooding and consequent breakout of diseases, loss of crops and cattle wealth.

Bihar – 2008 – Koshi river overflow with dam in Nepal giving away large area of Bihar UP got affected.

ONE SOILD WAY TO MEET CHALLENGE OF GLOBAL WARMING IS TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE AGRICUTURE

DEVELOPMENT

This aims at: Using land and water resources for the field of sustainable development for environmental sustainability, economic sustainability and sociopolitial sustainability. Agriculture Provides income and provides land cover. It aims at continued growth within that rapid growth of poor families.

It is multi skill approach for livlihood. It involves individual family and community, individually and jointly.

Says Shri. Kantisen Shroff” “In our sunlit tropical areas all our natural resources are through the process of photosynthesis. That means the CO2 form the atmosphere with molecule forms the basis of all resources and we also get back oxygen. We have measured these conversions and seen the positive changes in the environment”. (The case studies of this vision are in the following pages).  

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT INCLUDES:

 

        Agriculture Crops

        Horticulture crops

Live stock

- Cattle

- Poultry- Pig- Horse

- Donkey

- Sheep & goats 

 Bee Keeping

Agro Forestry and Grasses

Fisheries

CARBON ASSIMILATION BY PLANTSThe increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration stimulates the process of

photosynthesis (currently substrate-limited) and consequently plant growth, as extensive experimental research has shown (IPCC, 2000). *

(IPCC 2000: Land use, land use change and forestry. A special report of the IPCC Cambridge, UK, Cambridge University Press: )

The extent of this stimulation varies for forest (up to 60 percent) for pastures and crops (about 14 percent).There are three basic types of photosynthesis:  C3, C4, and CAM.  Each

type has its own advantages and disadvantages. Photosynthetic response of different crop species differs with increasing CO2. Approximately, 35 %

of the terrestrial plants are C3 species, while 1 % are C4 and 4% use CAM pathway of photosynthesis. (Bowes, 1993).*

(Bowes G. 1993: Facing the Inevitable: plants and Increasing Atmospheric CO2. Annula Reviews of Plant Physiology and Plant Molecular Biology, 44:309-332)

CARBON ASSIMILATION BY PLANTS

        According to some estimates, a single row of trees planted with or without shrubs can reduce particulate matter by 25% and each hectare (2.471 acres) of plantation can produce enough oxygen to keep about 45 persons alive.

  The foliage of a single mature beech tree(Fagus sylvatica), for example, can extract more than 2.5kg (5.5lb) of CO2 from the atmosphere, and produce 1.7kg

(3.7lb) of oxygen in one hour, which in theory is enough for the needs of ten people in a year

CARBON SEQUESTRATION

 Action taken to sequester Carbon in biomass and soils will generally increase the organic matter content of soils.

This has a positive impact on environmental, agricultural and biodiversity aspects of ecosystems.

The consequences of an increase in soil carbon storage can include increases in soil fertility, land productivity for food production and security, and prevention of land degradation.

Therefore, this constitutes a win - win situation

FOOD SECURITY AND SUSTAINABILITY

 There is an urgent need to address food security and sustainability in productivity. Efficient land use, development programmes on wasteland and watershed management.

‘Global warming’ and ‘Green House Effect’ has already made lot of impact on people from school children to senior citizens, all people of different occupation and knowledge specialization. All want and understand that vegetation must be promoted to counter global warming.

These Efforts need to be channelised to achieve immediate requirements such as food security, biodiversity and sustainable agriculture through more appropriate and efficient land use and wasteland development.

 

RESTORATION STRATEGIES  Agro forestry: In wastelands particularly in culturable wastelands, agroforestry can play an important role. India has 1.29 million hectors of wasteland.  Such lands can sustain trees and grasses.

 Agri-hortisystem, growing trees at random (largely followed by the farmers), border plantations, silviculture, silvipasture etc needs to be promoted.  Salt affected soils can be saline, sodic or saline sodic. Underground water is also mostly saline with a high water table. These are species, which can be grown on such soils.

Salvadora persica ( Piludi) is a well-known salt tolerant species. Its seed oil has commercial value.

RESTORATION STRATEGIESStudies conducted at the Bhal zone by the Central soil Salinity Institute, Regional Research Station, Bharuch showed that in soils with ECe ranging from 25 to 65 the average seed yield, oil content and oil yield at the end of the 4th year after planting were 1.84 t/ha, 31.1% and 5.76 q/ha. A net return of Rs. 7250/ha was possible after 4 years.(Gururaja Rao et.al. 2003). The species has a very good reclaiming effect also.

Prosopis juliflora (Gando Baval) is another such species. In Kutch district, it was observed that in highly salt affected soil with water table at less than 30 cm with a barren surface with no grass, the species not only grew well but after 5 years had grasses underneath and get multiplied on its own. It has great fuel value by converting into coal or by direct gasification.

There are many other species which are salinity resistant and can thrive on margin areas of desert and marshy lands.

The case studies in following pages show how practicable and possible it is to achieve this.

SALT TOLERANCE OF DIFFERENT FORAGE SPECIES Highly salt tolerant

(16 mmhos EC)

Tolerant

(8-16 mmhos EC)

Semi- Tolerant

(4-8 mmhos EC)

Sensitive

(4 mmhos EC

Fagonia cretica Cenchrus setigerus* Heteropogan contortus*

Dichanthium annulatum

Sporobolus marginatus*

Aristida sp. Zizypus nummularia Eragrostis sp.

Eragrostis sp. Eremopogon foveolatus

Tribulus terrestris

Tavernia cunefolia Lepidagathis sp. Brachiaria ramosa

Tavernia cunefolia

Barleria acanthoides

Tephrosia purpurea

Digit aria adscendens

Indigofera

Oblong folia

Sehima nervosum*

Convolvulus

Arvensis

Boerhavia liffusa

 Source: Yadav and Singh 2000

CASE STUDY – 1WATER APPROACH – VRTI-MANDVI

 37 projects in 34 villages of 3 blocks, covering 20300 ha.

Implemented as ridge to valley concept with cluster & participatory approach.

 Case study of Hamla and Manjal villages of Mandvi block

Area covered 1000 ha.

120 families

 

CASE STUDY – 1WATER APPROACH – VRTI-MANDVI

Activity carried out Trainings and awareness generation 4 Storage tank31 Farm pond26 Nalaplug 17751 Staggered trenches64 Pakka waste wear113 loose boulders68 Contur bounding8 acre plantation

 

WATERSHED APPROACH – VRTI- MANDVI

  

Impact Increase cultivated area - 100 acreIncrease irrigated area - 250 acreWaste land developedWomen empowerment and sustainable economic activity started.Easy availability of drinking water for human being and cattle Biannual and Triannual cropping started.Farmers adopted scientific agriculture practicesCapacity building

 

 CASE STUDY - IV

STORY OF LAKHPAT SHRUJAN

Watershed Approach:  2000 acre, two villages of Lakhpat Taluka.Chuger village farmers have first time sown crop in their field. It created income of more than 3 to 4 lacs.Created employment of 15,970 Man-Days.Soil erosion reduced. It improved productivity.Shri Khengarji started taking two crops from stored water and realized income of Rs. 3 lacs.Water table and quality of water improved in the wells of surrounding area.Animals from surrounding five villages got water for drinkingTreated area taken up for plantation under joint forest management

 

AGRO FORESTRY

 Treated Area: 500 AcresCost –Rs.27,000,00Storage and recharge of Water-30 Cr LtsLush Green Grass Area- 250 Acres

No of plants-

1 to 2 Meter Canopy- 3500

Less than 1 Meter Canopy- 9500

VEGETATION DETAILS

Plants 2005 2006 2007

Khijado 25 70 267

Kher 440 2305 3347

Pilu 110 710 1810

Vingo 10 220 269

Kerad 67 110 467

Boradi 2170 2760 4275

Kundher 20 510 567

Luva 200 320 355

Gugar 110 450 630

Gangni 370 560 690

Liyar 20 425 467

TOTAL 3542 8450 13144

CASE STUDY - V   

COMMUNITY BIOGAS PROJECT – SHROFFS FOUNDATION TRUST KANAS, CHHOTA UDEPUR

Individual biogas scheme failed due to low cattle holding with individual farmerCommunity biogas plan set up after interaction with village community. State Government provided financial assistance. Production of 3 Ton of slurry per day and network of gas pipeline for village household.Animal holder paid price for cow dung per kg. Per month Rs.200/- for gas connection - 70 householders. Vermicompost bed set up and slurry used for it Liquid slurry not marketable but once converted into vermicompost, it can be transported to urban centers in bags after meeting local demand. Thus it becomes marketable product, which is the key to success of the project. The gobar and Agri waste emanates mythen but converted in Biogas has different value addition to environment.

 

CONCLUSION

 The combination of photosynthesis and ability of plants to lay down (cellulose and lignin) acts as a powerful concentrator of carbon from the atmosphere into a fixed form.

There is no parallel human technology that is capable of performing this kind of carbon concentration

 

CONCLUSIONOne of the most effective ways to help reduce CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere is to increase the standing biomass by agriculture – horticulture, increase the growth rate of forests, increase the geographic extent of forests, AND MOST IMPORTANT, increase the amount of wood used by people where it can be substituted for steel, cement, fossil fuel, and other non-renewable, energy intensive materials, which will result in dramatic reductions in CO2 emissions.

Bring all available open land under agriculture and forestry.

This will provide increased income to people in rural areas – poor families will benefit.

With maximum number of sunny days and large area of waste and degraded lands – India has unique opportunity and a role to play.

The overall rate of land use improvement has not been satisfactory. But success story of certain well implemented projects give hope. There is urgent need to replicate such successful land use in other parts not only to combat the long term ill effects of Green House gases emission but also to address immediate pressing issues like food security, sustainability, biodiversity and farmers’ economic growth.

CONCLUSIONPOTENTIAL FOR DEVELOPMENT

 Number of countries in the world are having decline in growth of agriculture especially food crops. Especially in countries of Africa due to re-current droughts and internal turmoil and increasing urban areas all over world and heavy corporatisation of farming in some developed economics.

There is increased demand not only for food but for other Agri. produce.

a. Due to increasing population and per capita income in so

called developing countries with major share of China and

India.

b. There is national and international demand for bio-fuel, which has diverted growing of food crops. Indian farmer has shown that it has capacity to compete at global level.

CONCLUSION ENHANCE PRODUCTIVITY

Share of arable land in the world – 11.5% (only second to USA) Scope for improving yield in major crops Opportunity to bring wasteland under cultivation based as per one

international experience.

 

INDIA’S YIELD PER HA OF WORLD AVERAGE

Estimates in some major crops are  Paddy- 75%, Wheat- 63%, Cereals- 73%, Pulses - 79%, Soya- 48%, Maize- 38%

In cotton we have reached world highest yield with BT Cotton seeds. There are already salinity resistant Rice variety developed by Anand Agricultural University, similar research is underway for wheat.

We have more than 1.30 million hector of wasteland by converting them into cultivable Agri land where salinity resistant crops can be grown along with Agro-forestry with watershed and salinity control, we can take up this challenge.

 

CONCLUSIONUSE OF KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY

What is knowledge economy? “Prof. Mukul Asher says “Use knowledge economy to meet the challenges” . By knowledge economy he means: Systematic application of various sub-branches of knowledge to a given activity

For example use of soil health and moisture analysis with internet linking to villages to guide farmers to grow sustainable crops. Reducing the proportion of chillies, which are curved rather than straight. Increasing economic value and resilience of commodities through conversion of wastelands into productive use (water management is key)

CONCLUSION USE OF KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY   

Use of Satellite imagery images of earth – ISRO has network of institutions, which has data to map areas the wastelands, the margin areas of desert and marshy areas apart from micro level planning of village land.

BAISAG – Gujarat which is a institution promoted by ISRO and Government of Gujarat. BAISAG is involved in planning of village level lands including wasteland, watershed, gully plugging, farms ponds.

Arial seeding of submerged areas by use of helicopter and small planes. Growth in Kutchh of Ganda Baval is an example of this.

CONCLUSION USE OF KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY

 Climate forecasting and management and mapping by use of satellite data clubbed with empirical data for forecasting, prevention for mitigation of adverse effects of natural disasters, droughts, floods is need of time. One such centre is already established in Ahmedabad.

Improving national research for example finding out Carbon Absorption by different plants.

Expanding and improving prevention of plant, animal and human pests and disease infestations;

Improving water management;

Combating desertification;

CONCLUSIONUSE OF KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY

  

Plantation of bio-fuel crops which are salinity resistance like ganda bavala, castor crops, Jetropha with use of Tissue Culture and protected Agri and micro Irrigation with greenhouses.

Public private partnership to develop wasteland, which needs high capital investment.

Amendment of GDR in town planning scheme for urban, rural and industrial areas to make compulsory earmarking of specified area for plantation of trees and garden.

Use of reserved ribbon line land of Rlys, national and state highways and all other public and properties including educational premises, use of margin areas of riverbed or area where rivers have changed course.  

CONCULSION LEADERSHIP FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Global warming is a threat – can be converted into an opportunity

Win-win situation for all if efforts are channelised with focus on sustainable development with agriculture at its centre.

There is over all awareness at all levels from school children to senior citizen with public and private players.

But key to all these is LEADERSHIP which is motivated and committed for promotion of sustainable development with a clear vision, detailed plan and implementation strategy based on use of knowledge economy.

The leadership at all level - village, taluka, district, state and centre need to focus on farmers. The agriculture is growing at 2% to 4% compared to service and manufacturing which are above 8%. This has created urban and rural divine.

As per NSSO 2005 – 60% of farmers do not like farming. Within agriculture also there is disparity, some farmers are becoming prosperous – others commit suicide or wed Naxalism

 

CONCULSION

LEADERSHIP FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

All kinds of leaders. The Elected: Sarpanches, Taluka Pramukhs, District Pramukhs, MLAs, MPs, Cooperatives, trade and industry association and like

The Non Elected leaders: Owner/Entrepreneurs, Managing Director of companies, NGOs, Civil Servants, Educational Leaders (teachers), Armed Forces even the Spiritual Leaders.

If all act together with a goal in view - there will be all round prosperity.