Strategies of conservation and adaptation measures for sustainable agriculture against climate change

Abstract

Climate variability and change on the agricultural sector are projected to steadily manifest directly from changes in land and water regimes. Climate change is expected to result in long-term water and other resource shortages, worsening soil conditions, drought and desertification, disease and pest outbreaks on crops and livestock, sea-level rise, and so on. Vulnerable areas are expected to experience losses in agricultural productivity, primarily due to reductions in crop yields. Global estimates predict (without consideration of CO2 fertilization effects or adaptation) a 20–30 percent reduction in grain production. Latest research results revealed that gains in soil organic carbon have been overestimated and are partly or completely offset by increased N2O emissions. Seed banks that maintain a variety of seed types provide an opportunity for farmers to diversify, allowing them to both counter the threat of climate change and develop a profitable specialization. Some strategies for stabilizing the yield of agriculture crops need to be developed on war footing and major among them could be both mitigation strategies as well as adaptation strategies. The former includes shift towards renewable energy, sustainable agriculture and even sustainable transport system which involves least fuel consumption. However, the adaptation strategies may include planed infrastructure development, restoration of ecosystem and above all climate resilient agriculture including reduced waste consumption.