Effective Climate Change Mitigation Research Articles

Methods for separating orchards from forest using airborne LiDAR

• Key messageThe aim of the study was to distinguish orchards from other lands with forest vegetation based on the data from airborne laser scanning. The methods based on granulometry provided better results than the pattern analysis. The analysis based on the Forest Data Bank/Cadastre polygons provided better results than the analysis based on the segmentation polygons. Classification of orchards and other areas with forest vegetation is important in the context of reporting forest area to international organizations, forest management, and mitigating effects of climate change.• ContextAgricultural lands with forest vegetation, e.g., orchards, do not constitute forests according to the forest definition formulated by the national and international definitions, but contrary to the one formulated in the Kyoto Protocol. It is a reason for the inconsistency in the forest area reported by individual countries.• AimsThe aim of the study was to distinguish orchards from other lands with forest vegetation based on the data from airborne laser scanning.• MethodsThe study analyzed the usefulness of various laser scanning products and the various features of pattern and granulometric analysis in the Milicz forest district in Poland.• ResultsThe methods based on granulometry provided better results than the pattern analysis. The analysis based on the Forest Data Bank/Cadastre polygons provided better results than the analysis based on the segmentation polygons.• ConclusionGranulometric analysis has proved to be a useful tool in the classification of orchards and other areas with forest vegetation. It is important in the context of reporting forest area to international organizations, forest management, and mitigating effects of climate change.

Water resilience mapping of Chennai, India using analytical hierarchy process

BackgroundThe urban water system is the worst hit in global climate change. Water resilience is the system’s ability to retaliate and recover from various water-related disruptions. The present study aims to delineate the water resilience zones in Chennai city, Tamil Nadu, India, by effectively integrating the geographic information system, remote sensing, and analytical hierarchy process (AHP).MethodsThe methodology incorporated 15 vital factors. A multi-criteria decision analysis technique was adopted to assign a weight to each parameter using the AHP. A pairwise decision matrix was constructed, parameter’s relative importance and the consistency ratio were established. Integration of all maps by weighted overlay analysis technique depicted water resilience intensities of five different classes.ResultsVery low, low and moderate water resilience areas accounted for more than three-fourth of the study area. Area Under Curve score (80.12%) depicted the accuracy of the developed model. Sensitivity analysis determined the significance of the parameters in the delineation. The logical structural approach can be employed in other parts of India or elsewhere with modifications.ConclusionThis study is novel in its approach by holistically analyzing water resilience by integrating disruptions related to flood, drought and the city's water infrastructure system's adequacy and efficiency. Researchers and planners can effectively use the study results to ensure resilience as a new perspective on effective water resource management and climate change mitigation. It becomes a decision aid mechanism identifying where the system is vulnerable to potential water-related risks for employing resilience measures.

Functional traits of alpine plant communities show long‐term resistance to changing herbivore densities

AbstractHerbivores shape vegetation by suppressing certain plant species while benefitting others. By thus modifying plant species functional composition, herbivores affect carbon cycling, albedo, vegetation structure and species' interactions. These effects have been suggested to be able to counteract the effects of increasing temperatures on vegetation in alpine environments. Managing the dominant large ungulates in these ecosystems could thus provide a tool to mitigate climate change effects. However, it is possible that legacy effects of past grazing will dampen ungulate impacts on vegetation. We shed a light on this topic by investigating the short‐ and long‐term effects of varying sheep densities on the plant trait composition in the Norwegian alpine tundra with centuries‐long of intensive grazing history. In the first part of our study, we quantified the effects of sheep on the plant community functional trait composition at different elevations and under moderate and low productivity in. We combined data from two long‐term (14 and 19 yr) sheep fence experiments and showed that differences in sheep densities did not affect plant trait composition, irrespective of productivity. However, in the second part of our study, we showed that the plant trait composition in mainland (that has been grazed for centuries) differed from vegetation on islands which have been herbivore‐free. Taken together, these results suggest that sheep have an effect on the alpine plant communities on historical time scales covering centuries, but that the resulting sheep grazing resistant/tolerant communities may not respond to shorter‐term (14 and 19 yr) changes in sheep densities, that is, at temporal scales relevant for ecosystem management. Furthermore, we showed that the plant trait composition at the site with low productivity had gone through a temporal trait change independent of sheep treatment, potentially due to increased temperatures and precipitation, suggesting that sheep may not be able to counteract climatic impacts in the areas with centuries‐long grazing history.

Trend towards virtual and hybrid conferences may be an effective climate change mitigation strategy

Since 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has urged event holders to shift conferences online. Virtual and hybrid conferences are greener alternatives to in-person conferences, yet their environmental sustainability has not been fully assessed. Considering food, accommodation, preparation, execution, information and communication technology, and transportation, here we report comparative life cycle assessment results of in-person, virtual, and hybrid conferences and consider carbon footprint trade-offs between in-person participation and hybrid conferences. We find that transitioning from in-person to virtual conferencing can substantially reduce the carbon footprint by 94% and energy use by 90%. For the sake of maintaining more than 50% of in-person participation, carefully selected hubs for hybrid conferences have the potential to slash carbon footprint and energy use by two-thirds. Furthermore, switching the dietary type of future conferences to plant-based diets and improving energy efficiencies of the information and communication technology sector can further reduce the carbon footprint of virtual conferences.

Is the climate change mitigation effect of enhanced silicate weathering governed by biological processes?

A number of negative emission technologies (NETs) have been proposed to actively remove CO2 from the atmosphere, with enhanced silicate weathering (ESW) as a relatively new NET with considerable climate change mitigation potential. Models calibrated to ESW rates in lab experiments estimate the global potential for inorganic carbon sequestration by ESW at about 0.5-5Gt CO2 year-1 , suggesting ESW could be an important component of the future NETs mix. In real soils, however, weathering rates may differ strongly from lab conditions. Research on natural weathering has shown that biota such as plants, microbes, and macro-invertebrates can strongly affect weathering rates, but biotic effects were excluded from most ESW lab assessments. Moreover, ESW may alter soil organic carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions by influencing physicochemical and biological processes, which holds the potential to perpetuate even larger negative emissions. Here, we argue that it is likely that the climate change mitigation effect of ESW will be governed by biological processes, emphasizing the need to put these processes on the agenda of this emerging research field.

Soil Carbon Modelling in Salix Biomass Plantations: Variety Determines Carbon Sequestration and Climate Impacts

Short-rotation coppice (SRC) Salix plantations have the potential to provide fast-growing biomass feedstock with significant soil and climate mitigation benefits. Salix varieties exhibit significant variation in their physiological traits, growth patterns and soil ecology—but the effects of these variations have rarely been studied from a systems perspective. This study analyses the influence of variety on soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics and climate impacts from Salix cultivation for heat production for a Swedish site with specific conditions. Soil carbon modelling was combined with a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach to quantify SOC sequestration and climate impacts over a 50-year period. The analysis used data from a Swedish field trial of six Salix varieties grown under fertilized and unfertilized treatments on Vertic Cambisols during 2001–2018. The Salix systems were compared with a reference case where heat is produced from natural gas and green fallow was the land use alternative. Climate impacts were determined using time-dependent LCA methodology—on a land-use (per hectare) and delivered energy unit (per MJheat) basis. All Salix varieties and treatments increased SOC, but the magnitude depended on the variety. Fertilization led to lower carbon sequestration than the equivalent unfertilized case. There was no clear relationship between biomass yield and SOC increase. In comparison with reference cases, all Salix varieties had significant potential for climate change mitigation. From a land-use perspective, high yield was the most important determining factor, followed by SOC sequestration, therefore high-yielding fertilized varieties such as ‘Tordis’, ‘Tora’ and ‘Björn’ performed best. On an energy-delivered basis, SOC sequestration potential was the determining factor for the climate change mitigation effect, with unfertilized ‘Jorr’ and ‘Loden’ outperforming the other varieties. These results show that Salix variety has a strong influence on SOC sequestration potential, biomass yield, growth pattern, response to fertilization and, ultimately, climate impact.

The Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate in Latin America: Knowledge Gaps and the Urgency to Translate Science Into Action

Climate Change hazards to social-ecological systems are well-documented and the time to act is now. The IPCC-SROCC used the best available scientific knowledge to identify paths for effective adaptation and mitigation of climate change impacts on the ocean and cryosphere. Despite all the evidence highlighted by SROCC and the key role of the ocean and cryosphere for climate change at all levels, Latin America (LA) faces challenges to take effective action mostly due to socio-economic vulnerability, political instability and overall technical capacities. Countries have adopted diverse actions as the information needed by policy makers has been made available, not necessarily in accessible and inclusive ways. Regional imbalance in economic development, technological level, capacity development, societal involvement, and governmental oversight have contributed to skewed geographical and technological gaps of knowledge on key ecosystems and specific areas preventing effective climate actions/solutions. We analyze the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) from the region as proxies to the incorporation of IPCC recommendations. The gaps and opportunities for the uptake of ocean and climate science to political decision making is discussed as five key aspects: (i) climate assessment information and regional policies, (ii) knowledge production, (iii) knowledge accessibility, (iv) knowledge impact to policy, and (v) long term monitoring for decision making. We advocate that the uptake of SROCC findings in LA policies can be enhanced by: (a) embracing local realities and incorporating local, traditional and indigenous knowledge; (b) empowering locals to convey local knowledge to global assessments and adapt findings to local realities; (c) enhancing regional research capabilities; and (d) securing long-term sustainable ocean observations. Local and regional participation in knowledge production and provision enhances communication pathways, climate literacy and engagement which are key for effective action to be reflected in governance. Currently, the lack of accessible and inclusive information at the local level hampers the overall understanding, integration and engagement of the society to mitigate climate effects, perpetuates regional heterogeneity and threatens the efforts to reverse the course of climate change in LA. Local researchers should be empowered, encouraged, rewarded and better included in global climate-ocean scientific assessments.

A framework for social tipping in climate change mitigation: What we can learn about social tipping dynamics from the chlorofluorocarbons phase-out

In the natural sciences, the concept of “(natural) tipping points” has become a hot topic in climate change research. To better understand and evaluate the possibilities for and the barriers to the fundamental societal transformations necessary for climate change mitigation, we suggest a social tipping dynamics framework. We contrast this framework with previous accounts of stability and change and show that integrating these approaches under the umbrella of a social tipping dynamics framework provides us with a more encompassing and therefore more realistic account for theorizing and empirically analyzing the different (technological, behavioral, and political) paths and related interdependencies to fundamental societal change. Moreover, by emphasizing the agency aspect, we highlight that the type of fundamental change required in effective climate change mitigation is more strongly actor-driven than previous approaches have suggested. In a second step, we apply our framework to the phase-out of chlorofluorocarbons and thereby illustrate its merits. To conclude, we summarize the value of the concept of social tipping dynamics, including its limitations and potential for improving political analysis.

Glimmers of hope: a global Green New Deal is feasible

In light of limited international climate policy efforts, many are pessimistic about effective climate change mitigation. However, there is still a chance for a global Green New Deal which would reduce both socio-economic inequalities and greenhouse gas emissions. Unfolding feedbacks between technological, behavioral, and political changes provide an opportunity for transforming our societies. Yet, a Green New Deal in line with the green growth paradigm seems politically more feasible than a radical approach that rests upon a de-growth paradigm.

An extended patch-based cellular automaton to simulate horizontal and vertical urban growth under the shared socioeconomic pathways

Most contemporary urban cellular automata (CA) models primarily focus on the simulation of urban land expansion, and cannot effectively simulate vertical urban growth. This study addresses this drawback by extending a patch-based urban CA model with a component that can predict the building volumes of an urban land expansion scenario. The proposed model is evaluated through a case study in the Guangzhou-Foshan metropolitan area, China. The horizontal urban growth simulations achieve a mean ‘Figure-of-merit’ value of 0.1406 at the cell level and an agreement of 97% at the pattern level. The building volume prediction made by the methods of random forest and k-nearest-neighbor has a testing R2 of 0.90 and a mean percentage absolute error of 22%. The proposed model is applied to the urban growth projections under the shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs). The results successfully reflect the influences that different SSPs have on vertical urban developments. These results also complement related research of urbanization projections under the SSPs, because most existing studies consider the impacts of horizontal urban growth only. As building volumes and heights are fundamental parameters to urban climate modeling, the ability of the proposed model to project future change in vertical urban developments can support the mitigation of climate change effects on human settlements.

Effects of Waves and Sediment Disturbance on Seed Bank Persistence at Tidal Flats

Coastal wetlands such as salt marshes have been increasingly valued for their capacity to buffer global climate change effects, yet their long-term persistence is threatened by environmental changes. Whereas, previous studies largely focused on lateral erosion risk induced by stressors like sea level rise, it remains poorly understood of the response of lateral expansion to changing environments. Seedling establishment is a key process governing lateral marsh expansion as seen in many coastal regions such as Europe and East Asia. Here, we evaluate mechanistically the response of seed bank dynamics to changing physical disturbance at tidal flats, using the globally common coastal foundation plant, cordgrass as a model. We conducted a large-scale field study in an estuary in Northwest Europe, where seed bank dynamics of cordgrass in the tidal flats was determined and linked to in situ hydrodynamics and sediment dynamics. The results revealed that wave disturbance reduced the persistence of seeds on the surface, whereas amplified sediment disturbance lowered the persistence of both surface and buried seeds. Overall, this indicates that increasing storminess and associated sediment variability under climate change threatens seed bank persistence in tidal flats, and hence need urgently be incorporated into models for long-term bio-geomorphological development of vegetated coastal ecosystems. The knowledge gained here provides a basis for more accurate predictions on how climatically driven environmental changes may alter the fitness, resilience and persistence of coastal foundation plants, with significant implications for nature-based solutions with coastal vegetation to mitigate climate change effects.

Allometric Models for Predicting Biomass and Carbon Pools of Boscia Senegalensis(Pers.) Lam. Ex Poir. (Capparaceae) Populations in Central Africa: A Case Study from Cameroon

Accurate estimates of above-ground biomass (AGB) and below-ground biomass (BGB) are essential for estimating carbon (C) balances at various geographical scales and formulating effective climate change mitigation programs. This study aimed to formulate specific allometric equations and carbon stock for B. senegalensis in Cameroon. Destructive sampling technique was used for harvesting and weighing the biomass of 40 individual trees. Allometric models were developed using biomass as dependent variable and tree dendrometric parameters as independent variables. The best models selected based with Adjusted coefficients of determination (Adj.R2), residual standard error (RSE) and Akaike's information criterion (AIC) were: ln (leaf biomass) = 0.08 + 0.31*ln (D2×H×ρ); ln (branch biomass) = 0.14 + 0.65*ln (D²×H×ρ); ln (stem biomass) = 2.03 + 1.32*ln (D²×H); ln (AGB) = 4.55 + 2.85*ln(D) and ln (BGB) =3.04 + 1.64*ln(D). The belowground biomass of B. senegalensis represents on average 25 % of the total aboveground biomass. Aboveground carbon ranged between 7.09 ± 0.42- 9.01 ± 0.50 tC/ha; Belowground carbon ranged between 4.37 ± 0.26 - 7.11 ± 0.35 tC/ha; litter carbon ranged between 0.50 ± 0.02 - 0.95 ± 0.04 tC/ha; herbaceous carbon ranged between 1.05 ± 0.28 - 1.86 ± 0.20 tC/ha ; dead wood carbon ranged between 3.03 ± 0.40 - 8.98 ± 0.44 tC/ha; Soil Organic Carbon Stock varies between4.33 ± 0.79 - 6.14 ± 1.05 tC/ha ;Total carbon were 33.24 ± 4.28;27.40 ± 3.35;27.27 ± 3.27and 21.18 ± 3.00 tC/ha in site 3, site 2, site 1 and site 4 respectively.The specific allometric equation developed for B. senegalensis can be used in similar Sudano-Sahelian savannas to implement activities to reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD+) for the benefit of local carbon trading communities.

Perceptions, Vulnerability and Adaptation Strategies for Mitigating Climate Change Effects among Small Livestock Herders in Punjab, Pakistan.

Pakistan is an agrarian nation that is among the most vulnerable countries to climatic variations. Around 20% of its GDP is produced by agriculture, and livestock-related production contributes more than half of this value. However, few empirical studies have been conducted to determine the vulnerability and knowledge of livestock herders, and particularly the smaller herders. Comprehending individual perceptions of and vulnerabilities to climate change (CC) will enable effective formulation of CC mitigation strategies. This study intended to explore individual perceptions of and vulnerabilities to CC based on a primary dataset of 405 small livestock herders from three agro-ecological zones of Punjab. The results showed that livestock herders’ perceptions about temperature and rainfall variations/patterns coincide with the meteorological information of the study locations. The vulnerability indicators show that Dera Ghazi Khan district is more vulnerable than the other two zones because of high exposure and sensitivity to CC, and lower adaptive capacity. However, all zones experience regular livelihood risks due to livestock diseases and deaths resulting from extreme climatic conditions, lower economic status, and constrained institutional and human resource capabilities, thus leading to increased vulnerability. The results indicate that low-cost local approaches are needed, such as provision of improved veterinary services, increased availability of basic equipment, small-scale infrastructure projects, and reinforcement of informal social safety nets. These measures would support cost-effective and sustainable decisions to enable subsistence livestock herders to adopt climate smart practices.

Conservation agriculture in new alluvial agro-ecology: Differential perception and adoption

Conservation agriculture (CA) is shimmering up as a potential solution to food security, biodiversity, mitigating climate change effects on agriculture and water scarcity challenges. Adoption of CA found to be related not only ecological factors, but also depends on the characteristics of the adopter, their level of perception and the decision-making process. This paper examines the interactions and inter-relationship among climate change perception, energy perception, and level of knowledge on CA as dependent variables with a set of operating agro-economic, social-ecological, communication variables from new alluvial zone of West Bengal. Total of 65 farm households are surveyed using non-random snowballing sampling method. From the study it has found that farmers’ perception on energy, climate change perception, and knowledge on CA are interwoven with each other. As the farmers of the study region are in initial stage of adoption they need access to proper CA-related information and Upgradation of functional education through training, workshops, or demonstrations. Here are the points of interventions for successful on-farm adoption of CA. While land fragmentation and fuel cost are came up as two important predictors.

Exploring and Predicting the Individual, Combined, and Synergistic Impact of Land-Use Change and Climate Change on Streamflow, Sediment, and Total Phosphorus Loads

The present study predicts and assesses the individual, combined, and synergistic effect of land-use change and climate change on streamflow, sediment, and total phosphorus (TP) loads under the present and future scenarios by using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). To predict the impacts of climate and land-use change on streamflow, sediment, and TP loads, there are 46 scenarios composed of historical climate, baseline period climate, eight climate models of Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) of two representative emission pathways (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5), after downscaled and bias-corrected, two observed land-use maps (LULC 1995, LULC 2015) and the projected two future land-use maps (LU2055 and LU 2075) with the help of CA-Markov model to be fed into SWAT. The central tendency of streamflow, sediment, and TP loads under future scenarios is represented using the annual average. The intra-/inter-annual variation of streamflow, sediment, and TP loads simulated by SWAT is also analyzed using the coefficient of variation. The results show that future land-use change has a negligible impact on annual streamflow, sediment, TP loads, and intra-annual and inter-annual variation. Climate change is likely to amplify the annual streamflow and sediment and reduce the annual TP loads, which is also expected to reduce its inter-/intra-annual variation of TP loads compared with the baseline period (2000–2019). The combined impact of land-use and climate change on streamflow, sediment, and TP loads is greater than the sum of individual impacts for climate change and land-use change, especially for TP loads. Moreover, the synergistic impact caused by the interaction of climate and land use varies with variables and is more significant for TP loads. Thus, it is necessary to consider the combined climate and land-use change scenarios in future climate change studies due to the non-negligible synergistic impact, especially for TP loads. This research rare integrates the individual/combined/synergistic impact of land-use and climate change on streamflow, sediment, and TP loads and will help to understand the interaction between climate and land-use and take effective climate change mitigation policy and land-use management policy to mitigate the non-point source pollution in the future.

Modeling climate change impacts on blue, green, and grey water footprints and crop yields in the Texas High Plains, USA

Simulating the impacts of future climate change on water footprints and crop production allows for selecting alternative crops for mitigating climate change effects. In this study, climate change impacts on irrigated grain corn, grain sorghum, winter wheat, and dryland (rainfed) winter wheat in the Palo Duro watershed of the Texas High Plains were assessed using an improved Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model with an enhanced irrigation representation of management allowed depletion (MAD) irrigation scheduling. Climate change analyses in this study used the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) climate projections of 11 General Circulation Models (GCMs) under four Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) emission scenarios of RCP2.6, 4.5, 6.0, and 8.5 during two 30-year periods of the middle (2040-2069) and end (2070-2099) of the 21st century to compare to a baseline period of 1970-1999. For the irrigated summer crops of corn and sorghum, all 11 GCMs predicted the reductions of future irrigation, crop evapotranspiration (ETc), and yields compared to the baseline period. According to an ensemble of 11 GCMs, the simulated reductions in average annual irrigation, ETc, and yield for the irrigated corn were 63%, 34%, and 13%, respectively, at the end of the 21st century under the severe emission scenario of RCP8.5. Those values were 80%, 34%, and 34% under the irrigated sorghum land use. As for the irrigated winter wheat, the decreases in future irrigation and ETc were also identified in all GCMs relative to the baseline period. However, irrigated wheat yields were increased in the future climate. The changes in dryland wheat ETc were consistent with the rainfall variation under all climate change scenarios. Generally, the future climate could benefit the dryland wheat yields. A large uncertainty was found for the surface runoff simulations under both irrigated and dryland wheat according to various GCMs.

Crop diversification improves technical efficiency and reduces income variability in Northern Ghana

Crop diversification has been shown to help mitigate climate change effects for farmers. While previous research shows that crop diversification may increase or decrease technical efficiency in different regions, research on whether crop diversification involves a tradeoff between technical efficiency and income variability is limited. Using agricultural production data from Northern Ghana, this study uses the stochastic input distance function to examine the effects of crop diversification on technical efficiency. The study further explores effects of crop diversification on income variability using an ordinary least square regression to understand the nexus between technical efficiency and income variability in crop diversification. The results show evidence against a ‘tradeoff’ between technical efficiency and income stability for farmers in Northern Ghana. We find that crop diversification significantly improves efficiency and reduces income variability in Northern Ghana, so farmers do not have to give up efficiency for income stability or vice versa. This suggests that crop diversification could be an ideal Climate Smart Agricultural (CSA) strategy for promoting agricultural growth and resilience in Northern Ghana. While our data has a maximum of three crops, which could limit generalization of results to farmers who grow more than three crops, our results make a novel contribution to the literature on crop diversification.

Climate warming threatens the persistence of a community of disturbance-adapted native annual plants.

With ongoing climate change, populations are expected to exhibit shifts in demographic performance that will alter where a species can persist. This presents unique challenges for managing plant populations and may require ongoing interventions, including insitu management or introduction into new locations. However, few studies have examined how climate change may affect plant demographic performance for a suite of species, or how effective management actions could be in mitigating climate change effects. Over the course of two experiments spanning 6 yr and four sites across a latitudinal gradient in the Pacific Northwest, United States, we manipulated temperature, precipitation, and disturbance intensity, and quantified effects on the demography of eight native annual prairie species. Each year we planted seeds and monitored germination, survival, and reproduction. We found that disturbance strongly influenced demographic performance and that seven of the eight species had increasingly poor performance with warmer conditions. Across species and sites, we observed 11% recruitment (the proportion of seeds planted that survived to reproduction) following high disturbance, but just 3.9% and 2.3% under intermediate and low disturbance, respectively. Moreover, mean seed production following high disturbance was often more than tenfold greater than under intermediate and low disturbance. Importantly, most species exhibited precipitous declines in their population growth rates (λ) under warmer-than-ambient experimental conditions and may require more frequent disturbance intervention to sustain populations. Aristida oligantha, a C4 grass, was the only species to have λ increase with warmer conditions. These results suggest that rising temperatures may cause many native annual plant species to decline, highlighting the urgency for adaptive management practices that facilitate their restoration or introduction to newly suitable locations. Frequent and intense disturbances are critical to reduce competitors and promote native annuals' persistence, but even such efforts may prove futile under future climate regimes.

Communicating climate change adaptation strategies: climate-smart agriculture information dissemination pathways among smallholder potato farmers in Gilgil Sub-County, Kenya

Proven and sustainable practices like climate-smart agricultural practices (CSAPs) need to be prioritized and promoted for uptake especially by the farmers to achieve sustainable development. These are capable of contributing to the realization of sustainable development goals through averting food and nutritional insecurity, increasing and sustaining yields that translate into increased incomes and later reduced poverty. This is because CSAPs enable farmers to adapt and mitigate climate change effects. However, due to inappropriate communication of CSAPs to the farmers, to date, some farmers still see no escape route from the frightening effects of climate change and they are currently adopting a rather fatalistic attitude. This study investigated the information dissemination pathways used by different categories of smallholder potato farmers for and practice of CSAPs. It found a difference between information sources and practice of CSAPs at a 5% level of significance (χ2 = 100.12139, df = 2, p < 0.05, Cramer's V = 1.0), and a difference in the use of the three information dissemination pathways between men and women at a 5% level of significance (χ2 = 6.05949, df = 2, p < 0.05, Cramer's V = 0.17406). The three information dissemination pathways included media, neighbors and friends, and extension officers. Generally, farmers were aware and practiced the CSAPs investigated in this study except for irrigation with high awareness yet with low uptake percentage and potato seedlings and minitubers both with low awareness and practice respectively. This study recommended mainstreaming of CSAPs information.

Cutting through the noise on negative emissions

Cutting through the noise on negative emissions