ISLAMABAD, Apr 25 (APP): The Coordinator to Federal Tax Ombudsman and Chairman Kyrgyzstan Trade House Meher Kashif Younis Tuesday said agriculture production was under threat due to climate change in food-insecure regions, especially in Asian countries.
Talking to a delegation of industrialists and traders led by Faran Shahid here today he said various climate-driven extremes, i.e., drought, heat waves, erratic and intense rainfall patterns, storms, floods, and emerging insect pests have adversely affected the livelihood of the farmers.
He said future climatic predictions showed a significant increase in temperature, and erratic rainfall with higher intensity while variability exists in climatic patterns for climate extremes prediction.
For mid-century (2040–2069), it is projected that there will be a rise of 2.8°C in maximum temperature and a 2.2°C in minimum temperature in Pakistan,he added. He said to respond to the adverse effects of climate change scenarios, there is a need to optimize the climate-smart and resilient agricultural practices and technology for sustainable productivity.
He stressed the urgent need for conducting a proper case study to quantify climate change effects on rice and wheat crops and to develop adaptation strategies for the rice-wheat cropping system during the mid-century (2040–2069) as these two crops have significant contributions to food production. He said a recent report predicted that there would be a yield reduction of 15.2% in rice and 14.1% in wheat that showed there would be a yield reduction of 17.2% in rice and 12% in wheat.
Adaptation technology, by modification in crop management like sowing time and density, nitrogen, and irrigation application have the potential to enhance the overall productivity and profitability of the rice-wheat cropping system under climate change scenarios.
Meher Kashif Younis said flowing opportunities such as altering sowing time and planting density of crops, crop rotation with legumes, agroforestry, mixed livestock systems, climate resilient plants, livestock and fish breeds, farming of monogastric livestock, early warning systems and decision support systems,climate, water, energy, and soil smart technologies, and promotion of biodiversity have the potential to reduce the negative effects of climate change.