Loading...

Knowledge

Image

CLIMATE CHANGE AND ITS IMPACT ON AGRICULTURE

Jan. 18, 2025

CLIMATE CHANGE AND ITS IMPACT ON AGRICULTURE

1. Overview of climate change

Climate change (BDKH) is a long-term change in the Earth's climate system, including changes in average temperature, sea level, rainfall, and the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have pointed out that the main cause is greenhouse gas emissions (CO₂, CH₄, N₂O...) from human activities (burning fossil fuels, deforestation, intensive farming...), increasing the greenhouse effect, leading to global warming.

2. Main manifestations of climate change

  1. Average temperature increase
    • In the 20th century, the average global temperature increased by about 0.74°C, and is forecast to continue to increase by 1.5-2°C or more by the end of the 21st century if humanity does not reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
    • Recent years have recorded many record heat waves, directly affecting the growth of crops and livestock.
  2. Changing rainfall patterns
    • Rainfall is unevenly distributed, with unusually heavy rains in many places causing floods and landslides, while prolonged lack of rain in many places causes drought..
    • The rainy and dry seasons become unpredictable, disrupting traditional agricultural seasons.
  3. Sea level rise and saltwater intrusion
    • Sea level rise due to melting ice at the poles and thermal expansion of seawater.
    • Coastal areas, islands, and low-lying deltas face saltwater intrusion deep into the interior, threatening arable land.
  4. Extreme weather
    • The frequency and intensity of storms, floods, droughts, heat waves, and tornadoes are on the rise.
    • These events cause major damage to agricultural infrastructure, reduce productivity, and put farmers at high risk.

3. Impact of climate change on agriculture

Agriculture depends heavily on climate and weather conditions, therefore, climate change has a direct and profound impact on the production process.

3.1. Changes in crop productivity

  • Increase in temperature:
    • Promotes plant growth (can shorten the growing period), but at the same time increases evaporation, causing lack of moisture for plants.
    • Too high temperature also causes heat shock, plants are prone to wilting, dying or reducing fruit set.
  • Change in rainfall:
    • Too much rain: causes waterlogging, plant roots lack oxygen, fungi develop.
    • Too little rain, drought: plants do not have enough water, photosynthesis is reduced, productivity decreases.
    • Rain at the wrong time: affects the planting schedule, plants bloom at the wrong time.
  • Increase in pests and diseases:
    • Warm and humid temperatures can cause pest populations (brown planthoppers, leaf rollers, thrips, etc.) to rapidly break out.
    • Shorten the life cycle of pests and diseases, high density, making it difficult to control.

3.2 Risk of flooding and saline intrusion in coastal plains

  • Flooding:
    • Sudden floods destroy crops, irrigation infrastructure, deposit unwanted silt and sand.
    • After floods, fields are polluted, diseases develop, farmers spend money on renovation.
  • Saline intrusion:
    • A few centimeters of sea level rise can cause salt water to spread tens of kilometers inland, causing salinization of river systems, canals, and groundwater.
    • Crops (especially rice) are sensitive to salt, productivity is greatly reduced or they cannot grow.
    • Some coastal plain provinces are forced to switch to shrimp-rice models, or salt-tolerant plants.

3.3. Impact on livestock and aquaculture

  • Livestock:
    • High temperatures cause heat stress for livestock and poultry, increasing the risk of disease.
    • Prolonged drought or flooding causes a lack of green fodder, damaged barns.
    • High costs of maintaining cooling systems (fans, misting, etc.).
  • Aquaculture:
    • Fluctuations in temperature, pH, and salinity in ponds pose risks to shrimp and fish.
    • Lack of fresh water, saltwater intrusion, or water pollution reduce productivity.
    • Offshore fishing areas face unpredictable storms, increasing the risk to fishermen.

3.4. Socio-economic impacts

  • Crop failure, increased farming costs, unstable product prices => unstable farmers' income.
  • Risk of local food shortages when there are consecutive natural disasters (drought, salinity, floods), threatening food security.
  • People migrate from heavily affected areas, creating pressure on urban areas, labor shortage in rural areas.

4. Future trends and scenarios

Scientific reports predict that if humanity does not reduce greenhouse gas emissions, by 2050-2100, global temperatures could rise by more than 2°C compared to pre-industrial times. This means that sea levels will continue to rise, many coastal plains will be submerged, and droughts/extreme rains will occur more frequently. As a result, many traditional agricultural production areas will be forced to convert and adapt to the new reality.


5. Solutions to respond and adapt to climate change in agriculture

To deal with climate change, comprehensive solutions are needed from farming techniques, policy mechanisms to international cooperation and raising public awareness. Below are some important directions.

5.1. Diversify crops, drought- and salt-tolerant varieties

  • Select drought, salinity, and acidity tolerant varieties:
    • For example: salt tolerant rice varieties (OM, ST…), corn and bean varieties with short growing periods and low water consumption.
    • Research institutes and agricultural enterprises need to promote crossbreeding and testing of new varieties that are suitable for adverse conditions.
  • Diversify crop rotation and intercropping:
    • Avoid monoculture of one variety, which is easily destroyed by pests or natural disasters.
    • Intercropping with mutually beneficial plants, supplementing soil fertility (legumes), reducing dependence on one type of agricultural product.

5.2. Improve irrigation systems and water management

  • Irrigation infrastructure investment:
    • Construction and upgrading of dykes, canals, pumping stations, and saltwater prevention sluices to control floods, high tides, and saltwater intrusion.
    • Water storage systems and regulating lakes for irrigation in the dry season.
  • Economical irrigation:
    • Applying drip irrigation and sprinkler irrigation technology instead of wasting water.
    • Reusing treated agricultural wastewater to reduce pressure on clean water sources.

5.3. Building a smart, climate-adaptive agricultural model

  • High-tech agriculture:
    • Using greenhouses, net houses, temperature and humidity control systems to help plants grow stably.
    • Applying IoT (humidity and temperature sensors) to automatically connect watering and fertilizing to avoid loss.
  • Integrated pest management (IPM):
    • educing the abuse of pesticides, enhancing biological measures, using natural enemies, maintaining ecosystem balance.
    • Limiting the risk of pests and diseases breaking out strongly when climate change creates conditions for insects and fungi.
  • Preserving and restoring mangrove forests:
    • Particularly important in coastal areas: mangrove forests help block waves, reduce bank erosion, filter water, and maintain ecological balance.

5.4. Transforming production structure and reducing emissions

  • Switch to shrimp-rice, rice-fish models (coastal areas):
    • When salinity intrusion is unavoidable, combine shrimp or brackish water fish farming in saline stages, and when freshwater, grow rice.
    • This model is both flexible in responding to salinity intrusion and increasing economic value.
  • Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture:
    • Adjust water management in rice fields (alternating flooding and drying method), reduce CH₄ emissions.
    • Treat livestock waste into biogas, use organic fertilizers, reduce chemical nitrogen fertilizers.

5.5. Strengthening policy support and international cooperation

  • Incentive policies
    • Credit and tax incentives for businesses and farmers investing in technology and building green value chains.
    • Training to improve technical capacity and disaster risk management for the community.
  • International cooperation
    • Sharing technology, transferring varieties, water management experience, and climate change.
    • Strengthening multilateral negotiations on the use of shared river water resources (e.g. the Mekong River), avoiding conflicts of interest.
  • Raising public awareness
    • Propagating on resource conservation, responding to climate change, and instructing farmers on sustainable farming techniques.
    • Encouraging cooperatives, chain linkages, reducing fragmentation, and increasing resilience for production.

6. Conclude

Climate change is posing enormous challenges to agriculture, a sector that is inherently dependent on weather and the environment. Rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, salinity intrusion and extreme weather events not only reduce productivity and destroy crops, but also put pressure on the socio-economic life of rural communities. To adapt and mitigate the impacts, a comprehensive strategy is needed, including selecting drought- and salinity-tolerant varieties, improving irrigation infrastructure, applying high technology, transforming production models, while raising awareness and promoting multi-sectoral cooperation.

Farmers, businesses, governments and the international community must work together to find sustainable solutions. Although the challenges are enormous, they are also an opportunity to reorient farming methods towards smart, green and efficient methods, contributing to ensuring food security and livelihoods for future generations.

 

Bình luận

Những bình luận mới nhất

Chatbot
messenger Zalo