eChapters

INTRODUCTION

One of the most important changes in the global environment which affects the existence of all living things , is the climate change. The climate change globally and locally also changes the aquatic habitat which, in turn directly and indirectly affects the environment. Anyway, the changes in climate are certain to occur and may be inevitable. The only possible way is to analyze the situation and find out the reasons for such changes and take immediate steps to minimize the impact of these climate changes. Global warming has eventually become synonymous with climate change because almost all the variables of the ecosystem are influenced directly or indirectly at different levels.

Aquatic environment is extremely diverse and influenced by the climate changes to a large extent both locally and globally. The changes in the ocean and its life are well studied at different levels with all possible details compared to the freshwater habitats. Unlike agriculture and animal husbandry, the vast majority of the fish production still comes from the natural habitat or the wild collections. Agriculture and animal husbandry usually focus on few important species but for fisheries, all the species of fishes including most of the aquatic living organisms are commercially important. The media (water) in which the aquatic organisms dwell, is much more important to all living organisms of the earth and so the influence by climate changes on water becomes very much relevant in the present situation. Freshwater habitats are limited and are much more complex to investigate in respect of climate changes due to the variability and diverse micro and macro level interactions. A holistic approach to deal with all these problems has not got much attention both globally and locally even though , it is the need of the hour to address the issues of impact of climate changes in the aquatic environment.

INTRODUCTION

Livestock plays a very important role in the mixed farming system of the country contributing about 25 per cent of Gross Domestic Products (GDP) from agricultural sector. India has the largest population of cattle and buffaloes and the highest producer of milk in the world. India has also the second largest population of goats and one of the leading countries in poultry sector. There has been a tremendous increase in milk, meat and egg production since independence. However, owing to various reasons viz. , low genetic potential, scarcity of feeds and fodders, diseases, poor management practices etc. , the productivity is quite low. Climatic conditions of a place have also an important bearing on livestock production and productivity. Climatic factors like ambient temperature, humidity, solar radiation and wind velocity are the important ones which make up the physical environment of the animal having direct and indirect influences on animal’s responses towards climate. Temperature and humidity are the most crucial with the former being the most researched one. Extremes of hot and cold weather are creating stress to any animal and the effects are more severe under hot and humid climate. The varied effects of undesirable climate on animals are pertaining to feed and water intake, physiological, biochemical and endocrinological aspects, reproduction, health and productivity etc. Thus, the positive and negative effects of the environment on the livestock have been discussed in a way to undertake some protective measures.

Introduction

We have now started to feel the impacts of climate change, as a threat to our health, directly as heat stress on our bodies, and indirectly as it damages crops, and causes storms, floods and wildfires (IPCC, 2022). People working in fields or factories, or in the open, suffer the most. Buildings are our first defense as we learn to adapt to these changes. Resilient buildings that provide passive cooling can protect us better from heat waves, buildings designed to withstand storms and f loods can provide better shelter, and net-zero buildings that produce and store their own energy can enable critical operations when the electric grid is down.

Introduction

Drylands account for over 40% of the global land surface, or approximately 5.2 billion hectares (de Sherbinin, 2002). They provide home for more than 2 billion people or nearly 40% of the population of the world (White and Nackoney, 2003). Asia alone accounts for about 32% of the World’s drylands. Broadly defined by their modest water supply drylands have many regional names, such as semideserts, grasslands, savannas, steppes, and pampas. Dryland ecosystems are a vital part of the earth’s human and physical environments and play a major role in global biophysical processes. They provide much of the world’s grain and livestock, forming the habitat that supports many vegetable species, fruit trees and micro-organisms. With an exception of Australia and the United States, almost all drylands are situated in developing countries with populations living in extreme poverty. Populations of drylands are frequently some of the poorest in the world. Food security and water availability of these areas has always been unstable due to high variability in both rainfall amounts and intensities and the occurrence of prolonged periods of drought. The increasing pressures caused by the global climate change and massive land-use changes further increase human vulnerability in dry regions. The impacts of climate change in drylands are likely to lead to still larger populations being affected by water scarcity and the risk of declining food security and increase the risk of environmental migrations and violent conflicts caused by the decline of resources, which are important to sustain livelihoods (Barnett and Adger, 2007).

The principle of common but differentiated responsibilities is the core of the many climate agreements arrived at so far, including the Kyoto Protocol (1997) and the Bali Plan of Action (2007).  The differentiated responsibilities aim to meet the special needs of developing countries for accelerated and equitable economic development.  Both at Copenhagen and Cancun, the industrialised countries proposed limiting the rise in mean temperature to 2ºC above normal.  Even this seems to be unattainable in the context of the present rate of emission of greenhouse gases (GHG).  Hence, the principle of common but differentiated impact of the 2º change in mean temperature is essential for prioritising climate victims. For example, small islands like Tuvalu in the Pacific Ocean, Maldives, Lakshadweep, and Andaman and Nicobar, as well as the Sunderbans in West Bengal, Kuttanad in Kerala and many other coastal locations will all face the prospect of submergence.  Floods will become more serious and frequent in the Indo-Gangetic plains.  Drought-induced food and water scarcity will become more acute. South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and the small islands will be the worst victims.  In contrast, countries in the northern latitudes will benefit due to longer growing seasons and higher yields.

INTRODUCTION

India has varied agroclimatic conditions, which favour the cultivation of various horticultural crops. Based on the adaptability and system of cultivation, the horticulture can be grouped into four major class such as Temperate, Sub-tropical, Tropical and Arid. India has become the second largest producer of both fruits and vegetables with a total production of 46. 75 million tonnes of fruits from an area of 4. 56 million ha and 93. 16 million tonnes of vegetables from 6. 30 million ha (2003-2004). Besides, there is a tremendous scope for increasing the production of flowers, spices and condiments, plantation crops and medicinal and aromatic plants. Floriculture has emerged as a viable agribusiness. The commercial cultivation of flowers in open field conditions was much popular than protected cultivation in India. But, now- a-days, the protected cultivation has brought a great revolution in Indian floriculture and it helps for the quality production and export to earn sizeable amount of foreign exchange. India has approximately 350 ha under green house cultivation with export value of approximately Rs. 330 crores during 2003-04(APEDA). On the other hand, the prevailing climatic conditions in India are highly suitable for cultivation of the almost all spices from tropical black pepper to temperate saffron. The major spices are mainly grown in humid tropics like Western Ghats and NE States. Out of 21 agro-ecological sub regions in India, spices are grown in 14 different agro ecological sub regions. Fruits, vegetables, flowers spices and condiments, plantation crops and medicinal plants are widely distributed across the country, while plantation crops are restricted to a few regions.

It is well understood that the impact of climate change on agriculture and food security will be critical. The variation in climate influences the productivity of crops, livestocks and fisheries.
The major points to remember are
Climate changes are increasingly impacting agriculture and food security adversely.
Cereal productivity may decrease by 10 – 40% by 2100.
Negative effect on livestock productivity and increased disease.
Achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDG) will become more difficult.
Further, it is also estimated that : Cost of Climate Change will be equivalent of loosing 5 to 20% of GDP (N. Stern : World Bank).Sustainable Agriculture practice could absorb a third of the CO2. Globally, about 800 m $ / day is spent on direct / indirect subsidies. Among other things, it is suggested that encouraging Eco Agriculture is the way out. We must transform 1.5 b ha into Eco / Agri Farming. Small farmers to play BIG role. At the COP28 summit in Dubai, food and agriculture declaration was signed by over 130 world leaders on Sustainable Agriculture and a commitment to mobilize over $2.5 billion to tackle climate issues related to agriculture
COP and 4 per 1000 initiative
Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UNFCC (United Nations Frame Work on Climate Change) has been making significant efforts to mitigate the adverse climate change efforts. At COP 21 in Paris, a landmark agreement was reached to combat climate change and accelerate actions for sustainable low carbon future. COP 22 at Morocco will focus on short, medium and long

Key facts
        
Agriculture and livestock
    
·    The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) defines adaptation as ‘adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities’. The adaptation can be considered as tackling the effects of climate change, whereas mitigation is tackling the cause of climate change such as reducing the sources or enhancing the sinks of greenhouse gases. There could be different types of adaptation such as autonomous (spontaneous) and planned adaptation (policy decision).
    
·    Autonomous adaptation includes altering varieties and/or species those are more appropriate to the altered thermal regime or with increased resistance to heat shock and drought; altering the timing or location of cropping activities; altering fertilizer rates to maintain grain or fruit quality consistent with the climate and altering amounts and timing of irrigation and other water management practices; diversifying income by integrating other farming activities such as livestock raising, integrated agriculture and aquaculture/fish farming; development and use of varieties and species resistant to pests and diseases, wider use of technologies to ‘harvest’ water, conserve soil moisture (e.g. crop residue retention) and to use water more effectively in areas where rainfall is projected to decrease and using seasonal climate forecasting to reduce production risk.

1. Introduction

Agriculture has always been greatly dependent on climate patterns and variations, and is considered to be particularly at risk to the influences of climate change (James et al., 2014). Climate change is manifest in the form of reduction in rainfall and drought experienced in the last decade, pushing the agrarian community into real distress (MSSRF, 2020). To reduce the adverse impact of climate change on agriculture, adaptation is considered a crucial component of any policy response related with agriculture and climate change (Deressa et al., 2009). Adaptation to climate change involves changes in agricultural management practices in response to changes in climate conditions (Akinnagbe and Irohibe, 2014). Having knowledge about climatic adaptation practices by the farming communities would make them better equipped to deal with climate change related challenges (Mwazi&Ndokosho, 2011). Though smallholder cultivators are one of the most vulnerable groups to climate change, efforts to support their adaptation strategies are hindered by the lack of information on how they are experiencing and responding to climate change (Harvey et al., 2018). Senapati (2019) argues that farm households with access to weather-related information and extension agency contact have lesser level of vulnerability to climate change and enhanced adaptive capacity. Kavi Kumar (2009) contends the need to have region specific adaptation measures in farming as the key to address challenges of climate change.

Summary

Water security can be defined as reliable availability of water in sufficient quantity and quality to sustain human health, livelihoods, food (agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture) and the environment (biodiversity and ecosystems). Discharge of chemical and biological pollutants (from agriculture, industry and domestic uses) into rivers and development of engineering infrastructure such as dams and weirs over rivers have modified river ecosystems threatening the global water security, water quality and water dependent biodiversity. Climate change (increase in the intensity and frequency of floods, droughts, bushfire and sea-level rise, ocean acidification, etc.) is an additional stress on water security. There is a need to reduce climate change impacts on water security which can be done via adaptations to climate change. Adaptation is adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities. In other words, the adaptation can be considered as, tackling the effects of climate change. Adaptation to climate change in terms of sustainable use of water may include increasing water availability by developing hydro-basins and transferring water from areas in which it is abundant to areas in which there is scarcity, the reduction of water losses, increasing storage capacity by building reservoirs and dams, rainwater harvesting, improvement of water use efficiency, desalination of seawater, water savings (leakage management, metering, retrofitting existing homes with water efficient products in toilets, showers, baths, using energy efficient dishwashers and washing machines), mandatory rainwater tanks in new and old buildings (for toilet flushing, washing clothes, gardens, car washing), use of recycled or reclaimed water for landscape irrigation or to recharge groundwater aquifers, and to meet commercial and industrial water needs.

The State of Kerala under the Humid Tropics is one of the wettest places in the Humid Tropics where annual rainfall is of the order of 3000 mm, ranging from less than 1000 mm to greater than 5000 mm. About 68 per cent of the rainfall is obtained during southwest monsoon while 16 per cent in post monsoon and the rest from summer (14 per cent) and winter rainfall (2 per cent). Bi-model rainfall pattern is noticed towards southern districts due to influence of both southwest and northeast monsoons while uni-model rainfall pattern towards northern districts of Kerala. Coconut productivity is better towards south despite dreaded disease of root-wilt when compared to that of northern districts due to less dryspells during summer. Floods during monsoon adversely affect paddy production in the State while prolonged droughts during summer in the absence of post monsoon rainfall adversely affect plantation crops’ production to a considerable extent. The wetlands in Kerala are rich sources of water during summer and act as sink during monsoon season. Such wetlands are fast declining in Kerala and converted as garden lands. Decreasing wetlands might be one of the reasons for frequent floods and droughts in Kerala in recent years. The forest cover of Kerala also declined from 70 per cent to 24 per cent over a period of one- hundred- and - fifty years due to deforestation and forest fires.

Introduction

We are faced with the dual challenges of Climate change and food insecurity irrespective of the countries and regions across the globe. Asia Pacific region is one of the most climate change vulnerable regions in the world (Prabhakar & Matsumoto, 2010) on account of its relatively higher & dense population depending on climate related sectors and living in climate change vulnerable locations. In particular, the agriculture production system is facing serious repercussions due to increasing weather vagaries since past few decades. Agriculture being highly dependent on climatic condition is like gambling at the hands of erratic rainfall or droughts leading to crop loss on a regular basis in terms of reduced yield, increased pest resurgence and lack of safety net in case of weather based disasters all of which prominently affects the small holder farm families. Indian subcontinent has been facing extreme climatic events since the past decades in form of floods, erratic rainfall, high temperature, shrinking water sources, etc. which have caused deprivation in agriculture in economic and non-economic terms. In a series of researches and studies conducted over the years; the need for enhanced adaptation research and policymaking capacity in developing Asia has been reflected. Hence, adaptation research has to take an important place at global, national and local level.

Agriculture, the cultivation of plants and rearing of animals for food, fiber, and other products, is intrinsically linked to the Earth’s climate. Temperature, rainfall patterns, and atmospheric composition profoundly influence agricultural productivity and distribution. However, the stability of these climatic conditions is increasingly threatened by climate change, driven primarily by the escalating concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This chapter delves into the multifaceted relationship between climate change and agriculture, exploring the ways in which altered climatic conditions affect agricultural practices, productivity, and sustainability. We will examine the impact of rising temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns, ,and increased frequency of extreme weather events on crop yields, livestock health, and overall agricultural output. Furthermore, the chapter will discuss the implications of these changes for global food security, economic stability,and the livelihoods of millions of people who depend on agriculture. Finally, we will explore strategies for mitigating the adverse effects of climate change on agriculture and enhancing the resilience of agricultural systems in the face of this unprecedented challenge.

Climate change and variability are concerns of humankind. The recurrent drought and desertification threaten seriously the livelihood of over 1.2 billion people who depend on land for most of their needs. The global economy has adversely been influenced due to droughts and floods, cold and heat waves, forest fires, landslips and mudslips, icestorms, duststorms, hailstorms, thunder clouds associated with lightning and the sea level rise (Fig. 1). The year 1998 was the warmest and declared as the weather related disaster year, which caused hurricane havoc in Central America and floods in China, India and Bangladesh. Canada and New England in the U.S suffered heavily due to icestorm in January while Turkey, Argentina and Paraguay with floods in June 1998. In contrast, huge crop losses were noticed in Maharashtra (India) due to unseasonal and poor distribution of rainfall during 1997-98. The 1997/1998 El Nino event, the strongest of the last century affected 110 million people and costed the global economy nearly US$ 100 billion. A string of 16 consecutive months saw record high global mean temperature in 1997-98.

Agriculture, the cultivation of plants and rearing of animals for food, fiber, and other products, is intrinsically linked to the Earth’s climate. Temperature, rainfall patterns, and atmospheric composition profoundly influence agricultural productivity and distribution. However, the stability of these climatic conditions is increasingly threatened by climate change, driven primarily by the escalating concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This chapter delves into the multifaceted relationship between climate change and agriculture, exploring the ways in which altered climatic conditions affect agricultural practices, productivity, and sustainability. We will examine the impact of rising temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns, and increased frequency of extreme weather events on crop yields, livestock health, and overall agricultural output. Furthermore, the chapter will discuss the implications of these changes for global food security, economic stability, and the livelihoods of millions of people who depend on agriculture. Finally, we will explore strategies for mitigating the adverse effects of climate change on agriculture and enhancing the resilience of agricultural systems in the face of this unprecedented challenge.

Abstract

Climate change is a matter of great concern considering aquatic resources and the productivity. The likely impact of Climate Change is noted in the domain both in marine as well as estuarine capture fisheries, fresh water capture fisheries and freshwater aquaculture. Climate change is having a linkage with spread of fish diseases as increasing water temperature will shift the balance in favor of either the host or pathogen changing the frequency and distribution of diseases. There are a no of adaptation and mitigation measures in aquaculture in order to increase the productivity and properly maintain the survivability of many aquaculture species.

Parasitoids are important natural enemies that regulate insect-pest populations and reduce dependence on chemical pesticides. They lay eggs in or on host insects, and their developing offspring eventually kill the hosts. Rising temperatures, altered rainfall, elevated carbon dioxide and extreme weather can affect parasitoid survival, development, reproduction, host-searching ability, distribution and seasonal activity. Climate change may also disturb synchronization between parasitoids and their hosts, thereby reducing the effectiveness of natural biological control. This chapter examines how changing climatic conditions influence parasitoid diversity, abundance and pest-suppression services. It also highlights management approaches for conserving and strengthening parasitoid populations in agricultural ecosystems.

The specter of climate change looms large over our planet, its influence permeating every aspect of the Earth’s systems. Among the most concerning manifestations of this global shift is the increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events, and atmospheric droughts are emerging as a particularly insidious threat. The present chapter shines a spotlight on this critical intersection, meticulously dissecting how the profound alterations in our climate are fundamentally reshaping the dynamics of atmospheric moisture Going beyond traditional notions of drought rooted in soil dryness, this chapter will illuminate the concept of atmospheric drought – a state where the air itself becomes exceptionally parched, characterized by low relative humidity and a voracious atmospheric demand for moisture. We will unravel the intricate ways in which climate change acts as a catalyst for these conditions. Rising global temperatures amplify evaporation rates, while shifts in large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns can steer moisture-laden air away from v

Black pepper (Piper nigrum L.), famous as “Black Gold” and also known the “King of Spices” is the most important agricultural commodities of commerce and trade in India. It is the most important, most popular and most widely used spice in the World. Of the total spices traded internationally, black pepper accounts for 34 per cent. South West India is the traditional home of this important spice, particularly the Malabar Coast. Black pepper is also grown in tropical zones such as the Asia Pacific Region, mainly India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, China, Vietnam and Cambodia. Outside the Asia Pacific region, the crop is distributed in Brazil, Mexico, Guatemala, etc., totaling about 26 countries. It is grown successfully between 20°N and 20°S latitude and from mean sea level to 1500 meters above sea level. World’s black pepper production varies in the range of 2.7 to 3.35 tonnes annually.