1 / 13

Potential Adaptations to Climate Change for Island farmers

Dr David C. Smith & Dr Kevon Rhiney, University of the West Indies. Potential Adaptations to Climate Change for Island farmers. Likely Effects of Climate Change for SIDS. Changed Rainfall patterns Extended Drought Heavy rainfall and floods

barid
Download Presentation

Potential Adaptations to Climate Change for Island farmers

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Dr David C. Smith & Dr Kevon Rhiney, University of the West Indies Potential Adaptations to Climate Change for Island farmers

  2. Likely Effects of Climate Change for SIDS • Changed Rainfall patterns • Extended Drought • Heavy rainfall and floods • Changed patterns of severe weather particularly cyclones • Caribbean: Stronger, Fewer, Wetter • Sea Level Rise • Increased Salinity of groundwater, soils and coastal areas, floods.

  3. Likely Impacts: Caribbean • Significant losses (7-12%) under climate change scenarios for sugarcane, banana, cassava, yam, sweet potato & tomato by 2050 (ECLAC 2013) • 33% loss for banana/plantain, 28% for tomato • Rhiney (2013) indicates that in Jamaica the zones suitable for growing many crops will change and be reduced in extent by 2050 • Farmers he interviewed indicated they saw less rain and longer droughts

  4. Adaptation Strategies • Water Management and Efficiency • Harvesting and collection • On farm use, e.g. drip irrigation, solar pumps • Resistant Varieties & Biodiversity of ag species • Drought • Salinity • Cultural options • Intensive vs. extensive, high tunnel houses, crop diversity • Organic Farming • Post harvest care & management

  5. ECLAC’s 10 options for CC Adaptation • Food storage • Water saving irrigation systems • Water Conservation rooftop collection • Holistic water management plans • Early warning systems and Disaster management plans • Improve soil conservation • On-farm water storage • Develop and use drought resistant crop varieties • Mainstream • Use protected agricultural structures

  6. Top five in terms of benefit (ECLAC)

  7. Water Harvesting (GWP) • Impact of Hurricane Ivan was reduced where rainwater harvesting was established (Peters 2010) • GWP/CEHI use a system with “first flush” diversion • Communities in T&T and demos in 3 other countries • http://www.cehi.org.lc/Rain/Rainwater%20Harvesting%20Toolbox/index.htm • www.gwp-caribbean.org

  8. Demo for RWH with 1st flush diversion (GWP-C)

  9. Solar water pumping system Source: Simpson 2012

  10. High Tunnel Houses Photos from GEF Small Grants Programme Jamaica http://sgp.undp.org/index.php?option=com_sgpprojects&view=projectdetail&id=9620&Itemid=205

  11. Requirements / Next steps • Data need to inform decisions • Weather and climate • Economic • Cultural and Social • Producing data to model the effects of CC on various crops & testing varieties in the field for adaptability and resilience (Rhiney 2013) • Education on water management options e.g. RWH

  12. Useful Links • Caribbean Climate Online Risk & Adaptation Tool http://ccoral.caribbeanclimate.bz/ • Global Water Partnership Caribbean & Toolbox www.gwp-caribbean.org • http://www.cehi.org.lc/Rain/Rainwater%20Harvesting%20Toolbox/index.htm • ECLAC 2013 study http://www.eclac.org/portofspain/noticias/documentosdetrabajo/5/49705/Agriculture.pdf

  13. References • Hutchinson, S. et.al, (2013). An assessment of the economic and social impacts of climate change on the agriculture sector in the Caribbean. UN ECLAC 87pp. • Peters, E.J. (2010) Impact of Hurricane Ivan on Grenada water supply Proceedings of the ICE - Water Management, 163, pp57 –64. • Rhiney K., Campbell, D., & Barker, D. (2013) Promoting Marketing Competitiveness & Adaption to Climate Change among Smallholder Farmers in Jamaica. ACDI/VOCA, Kingston, Jamaica. • Williams, N. & Thomas, K. (2012) Sustainable Water Resources in the Caribbean: Prospects and Challenges Water Resources Impact 14 5 pp19-21

More Related