GLOBAL WARMING, AGRICULTURE,
BY DR. KIRIT N SHELAT, I.A.S. (RTD)
Sustainable development is a pattern of natural resource use that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also in the indefinite future.
The word “sustainable development” has very well known implications. It is a long-term activity. It has both socio and economic content. It involves the use of natural resources. It implies economic growth.
It means to provide enough of what one needs in order to live or exists and to continue to have that without becoming less. It also includes gradual growth, increase in size, quantity and quality of life.
It involves development of wealth of an area, people and of a society, country with focus on poor families and remote areas.
The process involves intervention of social, economic and infrastructural activity by special initiative generally known as development programmes initiated by Government.
The sustainable Development aims at lifting poor families outside poverty. This is the key to socio – political stability and a must. Its faltering or absence leads to political turmoil and instability of a nation or its parts many a time germinating local terrorist groups.
The nature has five important forces viz. Sky (atmosphere), Sun, Earth, Water and Vegetation. These forces/sources are inter-dependent and they maintain balance and equilibrium of nature. Its appropriate use generates basic resources for livelihood, which sustain the habitat and sustainable development. They are responsible for different seasons round the year – the weather cycle that is known as climate. Over use of one or improper use of another affects balance. Like over drawl of underground water leads to salinity ingress and advancement of desert. Over use of fossil fuel leads excess discharge of gases that affects balance of heat absorption in the atmosphere and generates extra heat. Its inequitable use leads to social and political instability. Whenever nature’s balance or equilibrium of its forces is disturbed, it affects weather cycle resulting into climatic change, which most often causes natural calamities. In modern days this is called as “Global Warming” due to “Green house effect”.
The greenhouse effect refers to the change in the steady state temperature by the presence of an atmosphere containing gas that absorbs and emits infrared radiation. The greenhouse gases trap heat within the surface-troposphere system. Nitrogen, oxygen, and argon make up 98 percent of the Earth’s atmosphere. But they do not absorb significant amounts of infrared radiation, and thus do not contribute to the greenhouse effect. It is other components like water vapor, carbon dioxide, ozone, methane, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons that absorb heat and trap heat within the surface – atmosphere system and increase atmospheric temperatures. Of the human-produced greenhouse gases, the one that contributes the bulk in terms of radioactive forcing is carbon dioxide. CO2.. Production from increased industrial activity (fossil fuel burning) and other human activities such as cement production and tropical deforestation have increased its concentration in the atmosphere. The concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere increased from 285 ppm at the end of the nineteenth century, before the industrial revolution, to about 385 ppm in new millennium.
This increased emission more particularly of CO2 has affected the natural balance.
This imbalance in nature – atmosphere has impact on climate and its cycle and the results is climate change. The weather becomes un-predictable. This has many consequences on the habitat all over the world. None of which seem to be pleasant. It has adverse impact on sustainable Development.
CLIMATE CHANGE IS CAUSING NATURAL DISASTERS THAT CREATES loss of life, agriculture crops and animals, livelihood, increased risk of disease outbreak, damage to infrastructure and communication – particularly rural areas, setbacks to social and economic development, pushing farmers in rural areas again back below poverty line, the process of sustainable development is completely affected, it needs disaster mitigation policy with focus on poor – lack of same may lead to socio-political instability.
One solid way to meet challenge of global warming is to promote sustainable agriculture development. This aims at using land and water resources for environment sustainability, economic sustainability and socio political sustainability. Agriculture Provides income and provides land cover. This is also inclusive of continued rapid growth of poor/small farmers.
It is multi skill approach for livelihood. It involves individual family and community – individually and jointly.
Says Shri Kantisen Shroff “In our sunlit tropical areas all our natural resources are through the process of photosynthesis. That means the CO2 form the atmosphere with molecule forms the basis of all resources. We also get back oxygen. We have measured these conversions and seen the positive changes in the environment”.
The increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration stimulates the process of photosynthesis and consequently plant growth.
There are three basic types of photosynthesis: C3, C4, and CAM. Photosynthetic response of different crop species differs with increasing CO2. Approximately, 35 % of the terrestrial plants are C3 species, while 1 % are C4 and 4% use CAM pathway of photosynthesis.
Action taken to sequester Carbon in biomass and soils increase the organic matter content of soils. This has a positive impact on environmental, agricultural and biodiversity aspects of ecosystems. The increase in soil carbon storage includes increases in soil fertility, land productivity and prevention of land degradation. Therefore, this constitutes a win – win situation
In 19th century, a sever earthquake struck Kutchh. Before earthquake, Sindhu River was flowing on. It was a green land. It used to produce paddy. After earthquake the Sindhu River disappeared by changing its course. Seawater made huge ingress on land and the entire area became saline – the vegetation cover was lost – there were frequent famines. This made life difficult for survival. Livelihood was not assured. Agriculture – the crops were failing, drinking water was scare, health and sanitation were affected so on and so forth. This resulted into large-scale human and cattle migration over years even up to 20th century. But the situation changed with determined and well thought out and plans with persistent human efforts led by Shri K. C. Shroff, who set up number of voluntary organizations to initiate and participate in sustainable development known as Vivekanand Rural Technology Institute (VRTI) at Mandvi in Kutchh, Shrujan – Bhujodi-Bhuj, Shroff Foundation Trust – Vadodara. Its approach is a participative effort, with people and convergence of efforts with Government agencies. Local committee of participants is organized through which local leadership is to implement and maintain programme – projects.
It follows clinical approach of diagnosis of a problem, prescription for its solution and its implementation depending on requirement of each local situation. It adopted watershed approach for harnessing of scanty water and created green areas in most difficult villages of Lakhapat and Abdasa. It took up salinity control projects to prevent ingress of salinity and harnessing of sweet water. It developed salinity resistant crop like beetroots. It took up agro forestry project and through water and soil management revived local species, which were suitable to Kutch climate. More than 13000 trees grew within a period of five years. It all these efforts had catalytic effect in Kutchh. The situation has now changed in many villages where sustainable agriculture has come to stay and livelihood problems have been solved. The annual migration of cattle and people was almost stopped. There is total turned around. These efforts are solid example of meeting the challenges adverse climate in a difficult terrain, whether it was due to change in climate or change in river course or both. In each of above with initiative of voluntary agency with convergence of efforts with Government agencies and participation of local people and their leaders, the challenges were met with. There were individuals who took initiative. They were local Sarpanches, who led the teams.
There is, therefore, a need to think about global warming from a new angle.
- The sustainable development
- Agriculture
- Involvement of Public Leadership
Sustainable development is key to social and economic stability. The global warming has adverse impact on it all over the world. It disturbs social tranquil. The major sufferers are of course poor families, the small farmers. In India, the agriculture is growing at 2% to 4% compared to service and manufacturing, which are above 8%. This has created urban and rural divide. As per NSSO 2005 – 60% of farmers do not like farming. Within agriculture also there is disparity, some farmers are becoming prosperous while others loose and some commit suicide or wed Naxalism. This is due to failure of public governance system – both elected and non-elected public leaders failed to reach out farmers and youth and provide them sustainable development. On the other hand the nature has provided un-utilized wastelands resources and unlimited sunshine in tropical areas of our country. Its scientific use provides a new dimension to meet this challenge through agriculture, which is a key to sustainable development in majority of developing countries. The combination of photosynthesis and ability of plants to lay down Cellulose and Lignin acts as a powerful concentrator of carbon from the atmosphere into a fixed form. There is no parallel human technology that is capable of performing this kind of carbon concentration. With appropriate use of knowledge economy this is possible. Even aerial seeding on margin areas of desert can be taken up. Similarly genetically modified plants can be developed which can consume more CO2.
Number of countries in the world are having decline in growth of agriculture especially food crops. In Africa this is due to re-current droughts and internal turmoil. Elsewhere it is increasing urban areas, migration to urban centers leaving agriculture land as un-cultivated. Heavy corporatisation of farming in some developed economy is another such reason. This is creating food shortage.
There is an increased demand not only for food but also for other Agri. produce:
Due to increasing population and increase in per capita income in so called developing countries with major share of China, India, Brazil & Russia. There is national and international demand for bio-fuel. which has diverted growing of food crops. This offers an opportunity to India.
India’s Share of arable land in the world is 11.5% (only second to USA)
Scope for improving yield in major crops. India’s yield per Ha of world average estimates in some major crops are Paddy- 75%, Wheat- 63%, Cereals- 73%, Pulses - 79%, Soya- 48%, Maize- 38% .In cotton we have reached world highest yield with BT Cotton seeds. We need to reach first world average and then like in cotton – world’s highest yield in all crops.
We have more than 1.30 million hector of wasteland. It can be converted into cultivable land by taking up salinity resistant crops and salinity control measures along with Agro-forestry, use of knowledge economy and help of our scientists and successful replication of experiences as that of Shroffs and other NGOs including that of Government agencies at very many places can make this happen.
Global warming is a threat – can be converted into an opportunity. Win-win situation for all if efforts are channelised with focus on sustainable development with agriculture at its centre. There is over all awareness at all levels from school children to senior citizen, with public and private players.
The International School for Public Leadership (ISPL), which is a non profit organization, set up by Prof. Nat Puri of UK, has conducted more than 100 programmes for competence building of existing leaders from village level and above and for students – the future generation. It has revealed that they are aware of impact of climatic change – the global warming – but do not know what specific role they can play. Some reflects about many other members of public governance system.
Therefore key to meet the challenge of Global Warming is LEADERSHIP which has to become motivated and committed for promotion for sustainable development with a clear vision, detailed plan and implementation strategy based on use of knowledge economy. The leadership at all level - village, taluka, district, state and centre need to focus on farmers. The Non Elected leaders: Owner/Entrepreneurs, Managing Director of companies, NGOs, Civil Servants, for VLW, Taluka Development Officer to Collector Educational Leaders (teachers, research scientists and students), Spiritual leaders, International Organizations.
It is necessary to bring out hidden capacity of human beings and mobilise all the available resources including that of Government Industry, Voluntary organizations with people’s participation to bring out this transformation. Leadership qualities in the future generation need to be ignited to win such a situation and to have sustainable development to ensure that everybody has enough to live on and that each one has opportunity to grow and that youth’s aspiration to participate in leadership are met with.
Such transformation meets the challenges of poverty and global warming which seems to be un-surmountable. But in reality it is not so. It requires determined and persistent effort to reach out goals to overcome all these. If all act together with a goal in view - there will be all round prosperity.
