CLIMATE change, today’s undeniable reality, poses a formidable threat to every facet of human existence.
Agriculture, the mainstay of human life that employs millions worldwide and ensures food security, is no exception.
It is one of the most vulnerable sectors to the impacts of changing climatic patterns.
As the climate crisis deepens and agricultural demands rise to feed the growing global population, understanding the complex interplay between climate change and agriculture becomes increasingly crucial.
Being a serious issue in today’s world, climate change has tightened its grip across the globe, and Pakistan, one of the most vulnerable countries to its impacts, is no exception.
Climate change affects every sector of Pakistan’s economy, including agriculture. According to the World Bank, the 2022 floods caused a loss of USD 3.7 billion to agriculture and livestock in Pakistan.
Similarly, according to The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the leading international body for the assessment of climate change, climate change has caused a loss of 6-18% in agricultural yield in Pakistan in recent years.
Climate change affects crop production in many ways. To begin with, the extreme temperatures resulting from climate change cause a considerable decrease in agricultural output. Like any other living organism, plants thrive at optimum temperatures. Increased temperatures slow down the metabolic activities of crops, which may affect the flowering process during the critical reproductive stage. Additionally, warmer climates may favour and facilitate the growth of pests, pathogens and certain weeds, directly impacting crop production. Finally, heat waves reduce the working hours of farmers in the fields, affecting the proper management of crops along with shifting growing seasons.
Second, high precipitation levels induced by climate change severely affect crop production. This leads to floods, which destroy harvests, standing crops and pastures for animals. Moreover, flooding of fields due to heavy rainfall causes waterlogging, high soil salinity and anaerobic conditions (lack of oxygen), which can lead to the death of plants. Such conditions also kill useful bacteria and other organisms that decompose dead organic matter and add nutrients to the soil, thus diminishing soil fertility. Third, periods of severe drought caused by climate change have devastating impacts on agricultural production. Droughts lead to water scarcity, resulting in water-stressed conditions. Rain-fed fields are more vulnerable to such conditions. Furthermore, excessively dry soil decomposes slowly and is more susceptible to erosion, directly impacting soil fertility. Finally, low humidity during droughts results in increased evapotranspiration, leading to decreased water content in crops.
Fourth, climate change induces extreme weather phenomena like storms, floods, cyclones and hurricanes, which severely affect crop production and food security. Such events destroy crops and harvests and damage infrastructure like roads, which are essential for the timely delivery of farm products to food markets. The destruction of roads causes delays in food distribution. Furthermore, unusual weather patterns may lead to food contamination and spoilage. All these factors collectively lead to food shortages and higher food prices. Lastly, the climate crisis is contributing to the death and extinction of animal species that are important to agriculture. For example, the role of pollinators in crop production is indispensable. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), “Without pollinators, the human race and all of earth’s terrestrial ecosystems would not survive. Of the 1,400 crop plants grown around the world, i.e., those that produce all of our food and plant-based industrial products, almost 80% require pollination by animals.” Therefore, the death of these pollinators due to climate-induced events inflicts significant damage on crop yields.
To cope with the menace of climate change, the following suggestions are recommended: First, crop cultivars and their sowing seasons should be adjusted according to prevailing climatic conditions. Second, seeds resistant to heat, water scarcity and diseases should be prioritized. Third, efficient irrigation systems and proper agricultural practices should be adopted. Fourth, proper drainage should be maintained to avoid water stagnation in fields. Fifth, farmers should be properly trained to enable them to cope with sudden weather changes and read weather forecasts in advance to make informed decisions. Lastly, subsidies and interest-free loans should be provided to farmers as compensation for climate-related agricultural losses. To wrap up, climate change is today’s bitter reality, adversely impacting every aspect of human life, including agriculture, which is one of the most vulnerable sectors to the climate threat. It is, therefore, essential to adopt climate-resilient strategies in agriculture to effectively cope with the climate crisis.
—The writer is currently serving as a lecturer in the KP government.
(faridullah165@gmail.com)
