Climate-smart Agriculture Interventions Research Articles

Effective extension and access to education drive optimal adoption of climate-smart agriculture interventions in affected tidal floodplains: A case study

Developing countries with predominantly agricultural economies are particularly vulnerable to short-term climate variability and long-term climate change adversities. This provides the context for adopting climate-smart agricultural (CSA) practices to ensure consistent agricultural product supply and food security. Although concepts of CSA tools and strategies are well-established, their adoption trends in developing regions are still undesirable, with little to no empirical understanding of factors contributing to these trends. The current research aims to address this gap of knowledge by assessing the nature of climate change impacts, adaptation strategies, and socio-economic characteristics of the farmers influencing the adoption of CSA techniques in a rural cohort in Southwestern Bangladesh. Systematically designed interview schedules revealed that the most common and devastating consequences of climate change in the study area were increased infestation of pests and diseases. Other overlooked hazards including water-logging, cyclones and cold waves, are posing new threats to regional agriculture by changing conventional patterns. Contrary to the status quo, many CSA technologies, especially indigenous approaches, are widely and effectively adopted by farmers in the studied area to cope with climate change. These adoption tendencies and innovations in CSA were found to be significantly driven by factors such as extension and training programs, education of farmers, and dependence on on-farming income. The findings of the current study provide a preliminary analysis of the attitude, knowledge and trends of CSA technology adoption by farmers in a less-saline floodplain niche of a predominantly salinity-impacted coastal region. The study acts as a model for future relevant investigations and implementations for stakeholders with supply of inputs, technologies and expertise in finding sustainable solutions and appropriate extension for communities around the world confronted with similar challenges.

An analysis of the perceived effectiveness and upscaling potential of climate-smart agriculture interventions in the Sistan Plain, Iran

The deficient extension of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) interventions in developing regions, where farming livelihood is threatened by natural disasters like drought, is still a concerning dilemma. Development paradigms are not consistent with CSA competencies in providing food security and climatic resilience and often neglect livelihood indices regarding upscaling patterns in CSA development. This research investigated the effectiveness and upscaling potential of CSA interventions in the Sistan Plain in Sistan and Baluchistan province, Iran. A sample of 361 farmers was taken by stratified randomization with proportional allocation. The CSA effectiveness was measured by productivity, income, resilience, and impact mitigation, and the CSA upscaling potential was measured by technical feasibility, technology cost, gender inclusivity, and synergy with government plans. The factors determining CSA effectiveness and upscaling potential were specified by regression models considering farmer households’ livelihood indices. The results revealed that the variables of participation in education, the cultivation area, road connections, hygienic facilities, educational level, house type, farming water resources, cooking facilities, experience in farming, social recognition, and access to shared facilities determined the effectiveness of CSA practices. Also, CSA upscaling potential was found to be influenced by participation in education, the cultivation area, social recognition, farming water resources, house type, hygienic facilities, educational level, experience in farming, road connections, cooking facilities, and number of children.

Indicators, Theory of Change and Impact Pathways in Climate-smart Agriculture for Sustainable Development: A Systematic Review

Climate change is among the pressing global challenges affecting sustainable development, especially in the rain-fed-based agriculture of developing countries. Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) approach answers this question by ensuring high productivity, creating an improved adaptive capacity and reducing GHG emissions. This systematic literature review aims to provide an overview of the indicators, theory of change and impact pathways of CSA that lead to sustainable development. Using a systematic research method, four stages of PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis) namely, identification, eligibility, screening and included were used for selecting the articles reviewed. A total of 37 articles were then used for this study. CSA interventions measured by the behavioral changes resulting from different stakeholders (producers, consumers, extension workers, policymakers and institutions, civil society and the private sector) can play a significant role in sustainable development.

Economy-wide impact of climate smart agriculture in India: a SAM framework

In the context of climate change, the Indian agricultural sector treads in a certain duality between promoting food security in response to the increasing population, but at the same time in ensuring environmental sustainability, and sustained economic growth, especially in developing countries like India. The concept of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) emerged from the recognition of this duality. Using the Indian Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) 2017–18, the economy-wide effects arising out of agricultural interventions were estimated, keeping accord with the impacts on sectoral outputs and household incomes from the adoption of varying CSA interventions such as Conservation Agriculture, System of Rice and Wheat Intensification (SRI-SWI) and Natural Farming, fitting the three-pillared criterion of CSA—(1) Productivity (2) Adaptation and (3) Mitigation. Additionally, a shift in cropping patterns from Paddy and Wheat to less emission-intensive crops was also studied. Results show that SRI-SWI provides the highest economy-wide impacts while accounting for lower GHG and water footprint. Alternative crops such as Maize, Sorghum, and Millet have minimal increase in income and output effects while having lower water and carbon intensity compared to rice and wheat. The current study would sensitize policymakers to prioritize suitable policy and institutional measures for upscaling climate smart interventions in India.

Uprooting Entrenched Gender Biases in Climate-Smart Agriculture

This paper discusses the barriers to and enabling conditions for designing and implementing gender-responsive climate-smart agriculture (CSA) initiatives. Through examples, the paper identifies lessons and promising practices for addressing gender issues across the range of CSA interventions from farm level practices and systems approaches to the enabling environment. Through two deep dive case studies, the paper showcases the potential for CSA to contribute to gender-transformative results and offers recommendations for doing so.

Intra-gendered perceptions and adoption of climate-smart agriculture: Evidence from smallholder farmers in the Upper East Region of Ghana

Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) remains a key strategy for sustaining agricultural systems and achieving food security and nutrition. Despite this, uncertainty remains on how intra-gendered dynamics influence its adoption in dryland farming systems. This study implements both quantitative and qualitative approaches including household surveys, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions to explore how intra-gender dynamics shape the perceptions and adoption of climate-smart agriculture in three selected communities (Katanga, Dakio, and Zonno) in the Bolgatanga East District of the Upper East Region of Ghana. Specifically, the study answers the following research questions: (i) What is the degree of change in rainfall and temperature in the Bolgatanga East District? (ii) How does gender shape the perception of smallholder farmers on climate variability in the study communities? (iii) Which CSA interventions are employed by smallholder farming households in the study communities? (iv) Which socio-demographic factors influence intra-gendered perceptions and adoption of CSA in the study communities? Binary logistic regression was used to identify the factors influencing male and female farmers’ perceptions and adoption of climate-smart agriculture. Rainfall and temperature trends from 2010 to 2020 were analyzed using the Mann-Kendall trend test. We found that over the past ten years, smallholder farmers in the district have seen rising temperatures and erratic rainfall patterns. Less educated female smallholder farmers adopted CSA interventions relative to more educated female farmers. Married male smallholder farmers employed CSA interventions on their farms compared to single and divorced male farmers. The adoption of CSA was higher for female farmers with inherited farmland than for those with rented land. Our results indicate that the source of income and farming experience influence male smallholder farmers’ adoption of crop rotation and their decision to diversify crops on their farms. The farmland tenure system, farming experience, and income source of female farmers influence their choice to change planting dates. The study recommends the integration of intra-gendered dynamics in policy reforms to reduce the vulnerability of smallholder farmers with different socioeconomic characteristics to climate variability in Ghana.

Micro-hydropower systems for smallholder farmers in rural communities of Taraba state, Nigeria: Socioeconomic assessment of needs and perceptions (Part I)

The Nigerian government’s recent initiative, “Electrifying Agriculture,” supports the rapid deployment of off-grid electricity solutions to transform food systems. Agriculture is the primary source of income for Taraba State residents. In rural communities, success of potential climate-smart agriculture interventions requires participation and acceptance of the community. This research article evaluates the socioeconomic needs and perception of hydropower solutions for three rural communities in Taraba State, Nigeria. The findings reveal a higher proportion of males (72.22%) than females, with majority (53.17%) of them having no formal education. Social facilities and services like roads, education and health institutions, water, electricity and communication, and public recreation facilities are generally available but poorly maintained. The majority of inhabitants depend on nearby rivers and commercial boreholes as major sources of water for domestic purposes, with 65.87% of the residents throwing solid wastes into the bush. Also, the major (98.41%) source of energy or fuel for cooking is firewood. On the basis of priority, the three most relevant personal and community needs identified for interventions are the provision of low-cost off-grid electricity (95.83%); primary health care clinics (84.13%) and farming inputs (83.33%), among others. A majority (90.48%) of the respondents agreed that installation of low-cost, off-grid water wheel generators will serve as an alternative to solve Taraba state’s energy challenges, ensure energy security and improve the economy, while 93.65% of them are willing to sustain off-grid water wheel generator in their communities if they are installed. The results further indicate that provision of security and surveillance to prevent stealing and vandalism using community vigilante (57.81%) is a viable way of sustaining the investment, even as a majority (77.22%) of them agreed that corruption is a challenge that can affect the sustainability of off-grid water wheel generators in the communities if not addressed.

Trade-offs, synergies and acceptability of climate smart agricultural practices by smallholder farmers in rural Ghana

ABSTRACTClimate smart agriculture (CSA) has been promoted by governments and international development institutions as an intervention to address climate change and deliver triple wins. Yet, the trade-offs and synergies associated with CSA practices have not been explored. This study develops composite indices for prioritizing CSA practices to better inform policy about their trade-offs, synergies and acceptability. The aim of this study was to examine smallholder farmers’ uptake of CSA practices, the drivers of such uptake and the benefits (positive and negative) of CSA practices on agriculture, livelihoods and the environment. We employed the Analytic Hierarchy Process with workshop participants across two study districts in Ghana’s transitional and Sudan savannah agroecological zones. Results showed differences in CSA practices prioritized for achieving the productivity, adaptive capacity and mitigation goals between the two agroecological zones. Results also showed synergies and trade-offs associated with the implementation of CSA interventions, for example, irrigation may increase farm productivity (synergy) while contributing to the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) simultaneously (trade-off). Additionally, there are various perceived acceptance and efficiency levels of CSA practices by smallholder farmers and agricultural development officers. These results have implications for the implementation of future CSA action plans in vulnerability hotspots in dryland farming systems.

(Re)assessing Climate-Smart Agriculture practices for sustainable food systems outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa: The case of Bono East Region, Ghana

This research paper assesses the reality of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices’ potential to promote the outcomes of sustainable food systems (SFS) within Ghana’s smallholding agriculture context. The study demonstrates that rural farmers generally perceive CSA’s contribution to ‘food and nutrition security’ and ‘economic performance’ as more important than CSA’s contribution to ‘social equity’ and ‘environmental stewardship’. From a narrow perspective, the study demonstrates that farmers perceive CSA’s potential to ‘prevent pest and disease outbreaks’ and ‘increase human capital information’ as the most important contribution of CSA to SFS outcomes. In contrast, CSA’s potential to promote environmental stewardship is perceived as the least important among Ghana’s rural farmers. This enormity of displacement of smallholders’ perceptions at large is motivated by demographic, socioeconomic and ecological factors. Moreso, the CSA for SFS outcomes narratives is driven by farmers’ self-apprise, social networks and other local information dissemination agents. Furthermore, research findings suggest farmers’ awareness of CSA practices and interventions is deficient owing to unmet training and information needs for approximately 82% of the CSA practices and interventions. This situation elucidates the dichotomy of CSA practices’ narratives as tools for attaining food, nutrition security and economic performance to the detriment of critical issues such as increasing awareness and building farmers’ capacity to engage with CSA practices while also managing socio-ecological trade-offs that emerge over time due to engagement with CSA. Critical (re)orientation is needed across the scale to drive CSA practices and interventions that confine climate adaptation and food production practices within safe planetary boundaries without undermining social, economic, food and nutrition security needs.

Myth or reality? The Digitalization of Climate-Smart Agriculture (DCSA) practices in smallholding agriculture in the Bono East Region of Ghana

Digitalization of Climate-Smart Agriculture practices leverages the power of digital agriculture tools/services (DATs) of any form (hardware, software, or data) in Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices to promote enhanced adaptation, GHGs emissions mitigation and increase productivity for smallholding agriculture. This research used a mixture of participatory and learning approaches with an emphasis on Expert Interviews and a Large-scale Household Survey involving 1219 farmers in the Bono East of Ghana to assess the awareness and utilization of DATs in smallholder farmers' CSA practices. Precisely, we assess farmers' engagement with Digital Agriculture Services (DAS) and DAT such as; TVs, Radios, Mobile phones/Tablets, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)/Drones, Soil Sensor, Moisture Meters, Rain Gauges, Farm Management Software, Smartphone Applications, and Field Thermometers. The research suggests that the ubiquity of TVs, Radios, and feature phones in rural communities makes these tools the most used devices in farmers' climate-smart practices. However, the level of awareness, availability, accessibility, and utilization of complex tools such as UAVs and simpler tools such as soil sensors, moisture meters, field thermometers, rain gauges, smartphone applications (Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, etc.), and farm management software is minimal among rural farmers.The DAS facilitating farmers' climate-smart practices is limited to Digital Agroadvisory Purposes (digital extension), Agri-Digital Finance, and Digital Procurement services, while engagement with other DAS, such as Agri E-Commerce which facilitates most CSA Institution/Market Smart practice, is non-existing in rural communities. In addition, the Digitalization of Climate-Smart Agriculture, in its present form, is only limited to a few CSA practices and DATs engagement among smallholders owing to unmet training and information needs for most Climate-Smart Agriculture practices and interventions. Challenges such as DATs' unavailability, inaccessibility, high cost, high (digital)illiteracy, and inadequate extension support for the digitalization of CSA practices limit uptake. The study proposes increased capacity building for smallholders on CSA practice and interventions. Likewise, a strong public–private partnership across multiple scales is needed to stimulate needed investment to enhance farmers' access to affordable, easy-to-use, and tailor-made DATs while recognizing the power dependence and inequalities these digital tools may unleash in rural communities. Finally, increasing sensitization on DAT's use and benefits in rural communities and the larger population is critical to enhancing the widespread Digitalization of Climate-Smart Agriculture practices in smallholding agriculture.

Climate-smart agriculture: Greenhouse gas mitigation in climate-smart villages of Ghana

Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is an approach that helps guide actions to transform agri-food systems towards green and climate-resilient practices and it remains prominent in food systems transformation in the light of increasing climate change impacts. Unfortunately, the quantification of the greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation potential of CSA approaches is currently limited. Using the Cool Farm Tool (CFT), this paper quantifies the GHG mitigation of CSA based on farm-level experimental data. Individual interviews and focus group discussions were also conducted to identify farmers’ choices and willingness to adopt CSA practices. The study compared the GHG emission mitigation of CSA practices for two scenarios (baseline and mitigation). The study found that organic fertilizer input, residue incorporation, no-inorganic fertilizer and no-pesticide input reduced GHG emission intensity of sorghum (to 93.2 ± 25 kg CO2e GHG kg− 1 sorghum), rice (79.2 ± 22 kg CO2e GHG kg− 1 rice) and groundnut (69.7 ± 20 kg CO2e GHG kg− 1 groundnut) compared to the baseline. Lower GHG emission intensity was achieved with higher crop yield under CSA interventions. The study recommends that CSA promoters such as the Consultative Group for International Agriculture Research (CGIAR), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Bank focus on crop-specific CSA practices for higher GHG mitigation. CSA promoters such as the CGIAR, FAO and the World Bank should embrace participatory processes such as farmer schools to increase CSA uptake.

Effectiveness and upscaling potential of climate smart agriculture interventions: Farmers' participatory prioritization and livelihood indicators as its determinants

CONTEXTAdaptation to climate change is crucial to achieve food security and sustainable agricultural development. United Nations Sustainable Development Goal on climate action urges to combat climate change impacts that are more pronounced in developing countries and on marginal & small farmers. Climate smart agriculture (CSA) that jointly addresses food security and sustainable agriculture systems has been emphasized, still adoption of CSA practices is low demanding a framework for location specific identification, prioritization and upscaling of CSA interventions. OBJECTIVEPresent study is contemplated to prioritize and upscale climate smart agriculture interventions in climatically vulnerable coastal and non-coastal ecosystems based on perceived effectiveness and upscaling potential by farmers. It also attempts to delineate the livelihood indicators of farmers influencing perceived effectiveness of CSA and its upscaling potential. METHODSFarmers' participatory framework to prioritize CSA interventions in most climatically vulnerable coastal and non-coastal ecosystems of India, where National Innovations on Climate Resilience Agriculture (NICRA) programme of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has been implemented. Farmers have prioritized CSA interventions on the basis of four pillars of CSA giving maximum weightage to income followed by productivity, resilience, and mitigation in both coastal and non-coastal regions. While judging upscaling potential of CSA interventions, coastal district farmers have given highest weightage to technical feasibility followed by synergy with Govt. plans, cost of technology and gender inclusivity; contrastingly, highest weightage is given to cost of technology followed by gender inclusivity, technical feasibility and synergy with Govt. plans by the farmers of non-coastal district. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSMicro level stratifications of dominant livelihoods and their differential preferences for CSA interventions (like scientific technology, institutional innovations, indigenous technical knowledge and information & communication technologies interventions) are unraveled. Climate smart agricultural production technologies prioritized are mainly resistant crop varieties & livestock breeds, intercropping, water management and vaccination of livestock; farmers have also preferred adaptation through indigenous technical knowledge to build resilience. However, adequate institutional infrastructures and use of ICTs are less than sufficient which needs strengthening. The major determinants of CSA effectiveness and upscaling potential in terms of farm livelihood indicators are revealed through multiple regression and path analyses. SIGNIFICANCEThis approach would be helpful for future policy advocacy to prioritize and upscale location specific CSA interventions so as to insulate farmers better from the climatic adversities in similar ecosystems of other developing countries.

Knowledge of Young Farmers about Climate Smart Agricultural Intervention

Climate Smart Agriculture interventions have emerged to address the challenges in the agriculture sector caused by climate-induced disasters and stresses. For the present investigation data were collected from all the seven districts of the South Gujarat region, the overall sample size comprises of 280 young farmers. The results showed that the majority of the young farmers had adequate to best knowledge about CSA interventions. Further, results showed that the annual income, risk preference and leadership ability were found positively and significantly related to the knowledge of young farmers about CSA interventions at a 1 percent level of significance. While, education, mass media exposure, extension contact, scientific orientation, awareness on climate change, innovativeness, risk orientation and decision making ability were found positively and significantly related with the knowledge of young farmers about CSA interventions at a 5 percent level of significance. Furthermore, the land holding was found negatively and non-significantly related with the knowledge of young farmers about CSA interventions.

Assessment of the Climate-Smart Agriculture Interventions towards the Avenues of Sustainable Production–Consumption

In the current scenario, climatic adversities and a growing population are adding woes to the concerns of food safety and security. Furthermore, with the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12 by the United Nations (UN), focusing on sustainable production–consumption, climatic vulnerabilities need to be addressed. Hence, in order to map the sustainable production–consumption avenues, agricultural practices need to be investigated for practices like Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA). A need has arisen to align the existing agricultural practices in the developing nation towards the avenues of CSA, in order to counter the abrupt climatic changes. Addressing the same, a relation hierarchical model is developed which clusters the various governing criteria and their allied attributes dedicated towards the adoption of CSA practices. Furthermore, the developed model is contemplated for securing the primacies of promising practices for the enactment of CSA using the duo of the Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) and Fuzzy AHP (FAHP). The outcomes result in the substantial sequencing of the key attributes acting as a roadmap toward the CSA. This emphasizes the adoption of knowledge-based smart practices, which leaps from the current agricultural practices toward the CSA. Furthermore, by intensifying the utilization of the improved and resilient seed varieties and implying the fundamentals of agroforestry, we secure primacy to counter the adversities of the climate.

Scale on Attitude of Young Farmers Towards Climate Smart Agricultural Interventions

Attitude is the prime cause for the growth of an individual and will have great impact on the way we think, the way we perceive and the way we do the things. It is the determining factor for the success or failure of any vibrant endeavor. Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) has been emerged to address the challenges in the agriculture sector caused by climate-induced disasters and stresses. It is a strategic approach that aims to sustainably improve agricultural productivity and enhance food security, increase farmers’ resilience and adaptation to climate change, and reduce and/ or remove GHGs emission where possible (FAO, 2013). In this study, attitude of respondent young farmers towards CSA interventions was studied. Due to non-availability of appropriate scale to measure the attitude of young farmers towards CSA interventions, it was thought necessary to construct a scale for the purpose. Hence to understand the feelings of respondent young farmers towards CSA interventions, an attitude scale was developed. Likert’s scaling technique (1932) was found appropriate due to large number of items. A schedule of statements was sent to 80 judges to found its appropriateness by assigning the score on each item. Based on the ‘t’ value, 25 items were fi nally selected to constitute the scale to measure the attitude of respondent young farmers towards CSA interventions. Reliability of the scale was found to be 0.8863. The validity of the scale was tested by experts’ judgments. The reliability and validity of the scale indicate its consistency and precision of the results.

Soil Nutrient Contents in East African Climate-Smart Villages: Effects of Climate-Smart Agriculture Interventions

Short-term and plot-level trials mostly produce data on the advantages of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices on food security in a changing climate. Previous studies evaluated only one or a combination of a few CSA practices that improved soil nutrients, particularly in the landscapes of East Africa; hence, it is difficult to draw general conclusions. In this study, we evaluated the effect of CSA practices portfolio on soil macronutrient (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) and micronutrient (manganese and zinc) levels in climate-smart villages (CSVs) in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania over a six-year period across different land uses such as agroforestry, cropland, grassland, forest, and control (without CSA practices). A total of 432 soil samples were collected at depths of 0–15, 15–45, and 45–100 cm, and analyzed for macro- and micronutrients. CSA practices increased total nitrogen (TN), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) regardless of land use type or soil depth. TN, P, and K were mainly stored in surface soil (0–15 cm), accounting for 50.8–52.5%, 47.0–79.5%, and 34.2–65.5% respectively. Concentrations of Mn and Zn were 1.5–3.6 and 5.1–15.6 times greater under CSA than those under the control, respectively, at all soil depths. Results suggest that CSA practices implemented using the landscape approach contributed to improved soil fertility, which is critical in developing more sustainable and resilient production systems among smallholder farmers.

Community-Level Impacts of Climate-Smart Agriculture Interventions on Food Security and Dietary Diversity in Climate-Smart Villages in Myanmar

Diversification of production to strengthen resilience is a key tenet of climate-smart agriculture (CSA), which can help to address the complex vulnerabilities of agriculture-dependent rural communities. In this study, we investigated the relationship between the promotion of different CSA practices across four climate-smart villages (CSVs) in Myanmar. To determine the impact of the CSA practices on livelihoods and health, survey data were collected from agricultural households (n = 527) over three years. Within the time period studied, the results indicate that some the CSA practices and technologies adopted were significantly associated with changes in household dietary diversity scores (HDDS), but, in the short-term, these were not associated with improvements in the households’ food insecurity scores (HFIAS). Based on the survey responses, we examined how pathways of CSA practice adoption tailored to different contexts of Myanmar’s four agroecologies could contribute to the observed changes, including possible resulting trade-offs. We highlight that understanding the impacts of CSA adoption on household food security in CSVs will require longer-term monitoring, as most CSA options are medium- to long-cycle interventions. Our further analysis of knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAPs) amongst the households indicated a poor understanding of the household knowledge, attitudes and practices in relation to nutrition, food choices, food preparation, sanitation and hygiene. Our KAP findings indicate that current nutrition education interventions in the Myanmar CSVs are inadequate and will need further improvement for health and nutrition outcomes from the portfolio of CSA interventions.

Can climate-smart agriculture mitigate the Urmia Lake tragedy in its eastern basin?

Urmia Lake, which is one of the largest hypersaline lakes in the world, has experienced an excessive reduction of water level because of climatic change and anthropogenic influences. To mitigate this tragedy, several agricultural water management schemes have been initiated. However, many restoration programs have proven ineffective. To counter the lake’s disappearance, effective climate-smart agriculture (CSA) interventions are imperative. Nevertheless, the potential benefits, opportunities, risks, costs and incentive mechanisms of CSA interventions have not been well documented. Therefore, this qualitative research was performed in the eastern part of the Urmia Lake basin to identify the best CSA intervention for restoration of the lake and investigate the major drivers of CSA development. Using the “benefits, opportunities, risks, and costs” method, 14 influential factors were explored. Also, fuzzy VIKOR analysis indicated an urgent need of developing water-smart agriculture (WSA) in the Urmia Lake basin, where water scarcity, poor water governance and low water use efficiency are significant problems. Interpretive structural modeling and MICMAC analysis suggested that policy making and planning, research and development, monitoring and evaluation, education and extension services, supports and services, institutions and degree of their collaborations, knowledge and attitude, and infrastructures and farm structures can enhance the application of WSA interventions. Some recommendations and implications are offered to facilitate the adoption and development of WSA practices and technologies.

Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) and extension advisory service (EAS) stakeholders' prioritisation: a case study of Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh, India

Abstract Several climate-smart agriculture (CSA) interventions are promoted by public, private and civil societies in India. However, there is a considerable variation among them. Therefore, to understand the different CSA interventions supported and prioritised by the public and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) as well as their impacts at the farmer level, a case study was undertaken in Anantapur district, as it is highly vulnerable to climate change risks due to the increase in temperature, delayed monsoon, erratic rainfall and frequent occurrence of droughts. A case study research method was followed to assess the CSA interventions promoted by Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Department of Agriculture, Accion and Adarsha. The findings showed that KVK has focused its extension advisory services on the promotion of field crop (e.g. groundnut)-based CSA. The extension services of NGO-Accion were aimed at promoting horticulture, and Adarsha was prioritised promoting millet-based CSA interventions. Whereas the CSA priority of the department of agriculture was driven by the prevailing zero-budget natural farming project. However, interventions of KVK and NGOs were implemented on a limited scale. Therefore, the recommendations that emerged from the study will help the stakeholders to ensure convergence and foster synergy in implementing CSA interventions at scale. Some challenges faced during the research study were difficulties in the identification of the right stakeholders who were promoting CSA, also their technologies and services related to CSA. However, after a thorough discussion with the extension officers of Anantapur district, the stakeholders were identified and their CSA interventions were ascertained through focus group discussions and secondary data reviewed from magazines and other publications. Furthermore, the present study focused only on the CSA interventions promoted by two public sectors and two NGOs, and there is a wider scope for identifying more stakeholders, e.g. private sector, FPOs and entrepreneurs, and assessing their extent of involvement in the promotion of CSA and prioritisation.

Assessing Climate Change Impacts and Prioritizing Adaptation Measures Using Climate-Smart Agriculture Rapid Appraisal (CSA-RA): A Case Study in Thuong Bang La Commune, Van Chan District, Yen Bai Province

Overwhelming scientific evidence shows agriculture is heavily impacted by negative climate change effects. While agriculture is affected, the sector is also the second-largest contributor to climate change, creating challenges in adaptation and mitigation strategies. Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is a holistic approach to managing landscapes, utilized to guide farmers in the context of a changing climate. CSA is an attractive option for Vietnam, an agricultural country extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Farmers and communities in Vietnam are facing significant risks. Changes in farming conditions, climate, and productivity threaten agriculture and livelihoods. The aim of the current study was to assess the effects of climate change on the people and agricultural systems in Thuong Bang La (TBL) commune, Vietnam, utilizing climate-smart agriculture rapid appraisal (CSA-RA) tools. The results indicated that agricultural production has been negatively impacted, with erratic and varied weather patterns causing outbreaks of disease, and reductions in the yield and productivity of livestock and cropping systems. Disasters including flooding, storms, and droughts are a prominent threat, leaving farmers unsure of how to cope. Through a showcase of CSA technologies, farmers were able to highlight their preferences for practices including mulching, drip irrigation and conservation agriculture in orange groves, bio-fertilizers and integrated pest management (IPM) in rice production, and using biological bedding in chicken raising. The study showed immediate openings to initiate context-specific CSA interventions and building the resilience of the agricultural systems in the development of one of the first climate-smart communes in Vietnam.