Climate Change Impact on Crop Production in Nepal
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1 Climate change impact on crop production in Nepal: Role of 2 energy in climate change 3 4 Tulsi Ram Bhual1, Sutinee Sinutok2, Saroj Gyawali3 5 6 1 Faculty of Environmental Management, Prince of Songkla University,Hatai, Songkhla 7 90110,Thailand 8 2Coastal Oceanography and Climate Change Research Center,Prince of Songkhla Universit, 9 Songkhla, Thailand, 90110 10 3 Sustainable Studies and Research Institute, Kathmandu 16, Nepal 11 12 Abstract 13 14 Climate change is raising a problem globally and Nepal is one of the most vulnerable 15 countries. In Nepal, approximately 80 per cent of population lives in rural areas and their main 16 source of income is agriculture. Crop production in Nepal highly depends on monsoonal rainfall 17 due to which climate is a major factor. Use high volume of fossil fuels and other nonrenewable 18 energies during this world development process and fulfillment of the minimum daily 19 requirement of every single person is responsible for GHGs (Greenhouse Gases) emission in this 20 globe. IPCC (The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) declared that the Nepal is not 21 responsible for high rate of emission even though it has been facing the problem of climate 22 change in agriculture and tourism sectors. Direct and indirect impact of climate change on crop 23 production is a serious challenge for Nepali farmers however, the government of Nepal and other 24 nongovernment organizations are aware with such problem and they seems finding the best 25 possible solutions for address them. This paper reviews the causes, effects and solutions of 26 climate change on crop production in Nepal. The main concern of this review study is to find out 27 the present and potential impact of climate change on crop production and use of energy as a 28 climate change solutions. 29 30 Keywords: Nepal, Agriculture, Crop Production, Climate Change and Greenhouse Gases.1 31 1 Corresponding author: Tulsi Ram Bhusal, Tel: +9779857063446 E-mail address: [email protected] / [email protected] 1 32 INTRODUCTION 33 34 Nepal is a highly vulnerable to climate change amongst the south Asian countries and it comes 35 fourth most vulnerable in the world (Sapkota et al. 2016). Direct impact of climate change has 36 been seen in Nepal because of majority of people are depend on natural resources such as 37 agriculture for their livelihood (Thapa et al. 2015). Crop production is a foremost climate 38 sensitive sector (Kiprutto et al. 2015). Therefore, Climate is an important factor for both 39 quantity (high yield) and quality (healthy) of production (Agba et al. 2017). Thapa et al (2015) 40 further revealed that around 50 per cent of Nepal GDP is from environmental income i.e., 41 agriculture, forestry and fishery. More than 60 per cent of the cultivated area in Nepal is entirely 42 reliant on monsoonal rainfall (CBS 2018). Irrigation system in Nepal is not fully equipped in 43 most of the land even though several plans are on its constructing way (MOE, Water resources 44 and Irrigation-reports white paper 2020). 45 46 Climate, agriculture and energy are the three different terms. However, these are the co-related 47 each other in nature and changes in any among them can impact on others directly (FAO 2019). 48 Agriculture production process like tillage, burning agriculture residue in the farm, using high 49 volume of chemical fertilizers and some machinery tools specially operated by fossil fuels (oil, 50 coal and gas) are responsible for greenhouse gases emissions in environment which in turn leads 51 to climate change (Kiprutto et al. 2015). Agriculture is one of the a most climate sensitive 52 sectors. From seed sowing until harvesting, the climatic condition plays a vital role. Crop plants 53 are required a favourable temperature, moisture, and air to accomplish physiological activities 54 and for absorption of water and nutrients from soil (ALJWWFSL 2018). Plant can complete the 55 photosynthesis process only in the presence of sunlight. Photosynthesis process in plant is the 56 formation of carbohydrate from carbon dioxide and water in the presence of chlorophyll and 57 sunlight (Pandey et al. 2002). Thus, sunny days during the flowering and grain feeling stage of 58 plant is very important for better production (Allen 2008), if not so, the crop production rate may 59 decrease and decreasing the production is a challenge for food security and supply globally 60 (Islam et al. 2019). 61 62 Energy is required to fulfil all the basic needs (cooking, lighting, heating, communication and 63 mobility) of human being. Around 80 per cent of current energy consumption for global 64 economics is from fossil fuels and utilization of this much fossil fuel is responsible for up to 56.6 65 per cent of all GHGs ((Green House Gases) emissions (Moomaw et al. 2012). If the consumption 66 ratio of fossil fuels instead of renewable energy continues to increase at this rate, climate change 67 will continue to have a more negative impact; as a result, the natural disasters i.e., long drought 2 68 conditions, erratic rainfall, flooding, landslides, soil erosion, increasing some infectious diseases, 69 harmful insects and unwanted weeds in agriculture firm may also increase at the same rate. 70 71 The objectives of this review paper are review the previous studies conducted by various 72 researchers in climate change and its impact on crop production in Nepal and find out possible 73 area for further research. 74 75 CLIMATE AND FACTORS EFFECTING CLIMATE CHANGE 76 77 Climate is historically defined as the description in terms of imply and variability of applicable 78 atmospheric variable such as temperature, precipitation and wind. Climate can for this reason be 79 viewed as a synthesis or aggregate of weather (Goosse et al. 2010). 80 81 There are several reasons responsible for climate change. Among them, increasing the 82 concentration of greenhouse gases like CO2, N2O and CH4 in our atmosphere are mostly 83 contribute to climate variability (Sodangi et al. 2012). Basically, GHGs are trapped the sun’s 84 heat in earth surface which in turn lead to change the climate. Increasing GHGs in our 85 environment is associated with some economic activities operated by fossil fuels such as; 86 transportation, production companies and some agricultural activities including tillage, crop 87 rotation and deforestation itself also emission GHGs in atmosphere and its account for 88 approximately one-third of total global emissions (World Research Institute 2008). N2O and 89 CH4 are primarily largest emission as a non CO2 gas in agriculture sector. While high volume of 90 CO2 fluxes also generated due to photosynthesis and respiration, these are about adjusted on 91 existing agrarian land. Land conversion for different purpose such as deforestation for crop 92 cultivation and building of shelter, some manufacturing activities for farming equipments, use of 93 fuels for farming, use high volume of chemical fertilizers and insecticides are significantly 94 release the carbon. Hence, emanation from agribusiness comes from four vital segments: 95 agricultural soil, livestock and bio fertilizers management, crop cultivation such as rice 96 production and burning of agrarian buildups and savanna for arrive clearing. 97 98 Nitrous oxide (N2O) is the biggest source of GHG emission from agricultural activities and 99 account for up to 38 per cent of the add up to worldwide share (Rosenzweig et al. 1995). N2O is 100 created in soil through the method of nitrification and denitrification where, favorable 101 temperature leads to faster bacteria activities for these processes. Activities in farming may 102 include nitrogen to the soil either specially or in a roundabout way. Coordinate increase happen 103 through use of nitrogenous fertilizers in farm, application of overseen animal manner and sewage 104 slime, cultivation of nitrogen fixing crops and scrounges, maintenance of edit buildups and 3 105 development of soil with high natural matter substance. Indirect additions happen through 106 volatilization and consequently air testimony of connected nitrogen as well as through surface run 107 off and filtering of connected nitrogen into ground and surface water (USEPA 2006). These 108 processes have possibilities to increase of N2O emission and contribute to climate change. 109 110 Figure 1: 111 112 Some animals specially cattle and sheep produce methane gas during their naturally food 113 digestive system account for the majority of methane generation in this category and it is the 114 moment largest (second) sources of total emission of CH2 from livestock with a 34 per cent 115 worldwide share (Mark et al. 2008). Furthermore, green manure management which 116 incorporates the taking care of, capacity and treatment of excrement of agrarian emanation. 117 Methane gas is produced during the anaerobic breakdown of green manure whereas nitrous oxide 118 comes about from dealing with manure vigorously (nitrification and after that an-aerobically 119 (denitrification) in this way contribution to the worldwide buildup of CH4 and N2O. 120 121 CLIMATIC VARIATION IN NEPAL 122 123 According to Nayava (1974), the seasons in Nepal has been categorized in to four parts: 124 Winter Season (December to February): In Nepal, winter season is start from December and 125 finish in February. Normally, during this season, weather condition becomes dry and cold with 126 sunny in hilly areas but seems gloomy around some terai reason. During this season, slightly rain 127 does happen in most of the part in the country in association with the western disturbance which 128 have their beginning within the Mediterranean. The winter rain, most noteworthy within the 129 northwest local diminishes in sum in both southward and eastbound heading. At higher height 130 rain falls as snow. Morning haze and ice are common in valleys and uneven zones.