Poco a poco la manta amazónica se convierte en un desierto

Photo credit: DAPA-CIAT

Figura 1. Sandra Cuadros realizando encuestas a los habitantes de comunidades mestizas en Ucayali

Luz, Cámara, Deforestación!

July 21, 2015 by DAPA

Autores: Laura Caceres y Sandra Cuadros

Editado por: Wendy Francesconi

Luego de cinco meses en Ucayali, donde el sol es abrasador y las lluvias intensas, fuimos espectadores de los cambios que se están generando en este paisaje. Poco a poco la manta amazónica se convierte en un desierto, y es visible como la gente comienza a percibir las consecuencias de estos cambios.

Durante nuestro corto tiempo en la región, fue evidente la falta de comunicación y comprensión entre los ciudadanos de Pucallpa, los caseríos mestizos aledaños, y las alejadas comunidades indígenas. Esta falta de entendimiento se refleja en su distinta cosmovisión y sistema de valores. Dicha discrepancia hace que la convivencia en una misma región sea complicada e incluso confusa. A comparación de los caseríos mestizos, y en Pucallpa, en las comunidades indígenas que visitamos se observa un mayor entendimiento del bosque y del paisaje. Pareciera existir una gradiente de conocimiento en la cual las comunidades más alejadas de la ciudad tienen una relación directa con su entorno natural, y por lo tanto, una mayor sensibilidad a este. Sin embargo, aunque todos los habitantes de Ucayali viven en un entorno que les brinda variados servicios ecosistémicos, los cuales debieran permitirles una relativa seguridad alimentaria y calidad de vida, en la actualidad las comunidades carecen de un manejo eficiente y sostenible de sus recursos naturales. Los cambios en el paisaje que se observan con fines agrícolas o de extracción, no hacen parte de una estrategia socioeconómica para mejorar la calidad de vida de las personas a largo plazo. Por el contrario, las ganancias son de corto plazo y eventualmente serán superadas por los impactos negativas a futuro.

See the full article: DAPA-CIAT

 

Climate change impacts and adaptation

Photo credit: DAPA-CIAT

Adaptation measures for especially maize, common beans, Arabica coffee, banana and finger millet are urgently needed in Africa to curb future negative climate impacts. Negative impacts on livestock are projected, though more research on livestock impacts and adaptation needed to pin down region-specific responses.

African crops and livestock in a changing climate

by Julian Ramirez-Villegas

Cross-posted from the CCAFS blog.

After some intense 5-6 years of CCAFS research and impact, a set of newly released CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) Working Papers highlight both climate change impacts and opportunities for African crop and livestock production systems. The papers summarise science on climate change impacts and adaptation, and present new information specifically targeted to the 42th meeting of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technical Advice (SBSTA), held in Bonn at the beginning of June 2015.

West African countries will in particular see suitability for maize decrease, with production losses of up to 40%. Photo: J. Soares – http://dapa.ciat.cgiar.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/16383112145_7fab36f666_o-600×444.jpg

Climate change and African crop production

The SBSTA crops paper (available here), produced in collaboration between CIAT and ILRI scientists, shows that, under our current emissions trajectory (RCP8.5, where global warming by the end of the 21st century is between 6-8 ºC), common bean, maize, banana and finger millet are projected to reduce their suitable areas significantly (30-50%) across the continent, and will need some kind of adaptation plan, or be replaced with other crops.

Read the full article: CIAT-DAPA

Raising awareness of the implications of climate change for cash crops

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Cocoa production in Ghana needs to confront heat and drought

by Christian Bunn

How can we go beyond raising awareness of the negative implications of climate change for tropical cash crops and guide policies for adaptation? The project “Mainstreaming CSA practices in cocoa production in Ghana” proposes to use a transect approach to identify sites with high, medium and low climate change impacts and to develop appropriate strategies for each setting. Throughout the process local stakeholders are engaged to develop practices that are well suited to the local decision environment. Ultimately, the project seeks to develop incentives and support mechanisms that will drive farmer uptake of CSA at scale.

Last week at the kick-off workshop DAPA researcher Christian Bunn confronted local partners in Accra with the initial results of his research on the differential climate change impacts on various cocoa growing zones in Ghana. Previous studies had stopped short of providing information to guide adaptation at the required scale. A widely cited study by Peter Läderach and others first drew attention to the likely negative impacts of climatic changes on the main cocoa producers in Ghana and Ivory Coast (Fig. 1). A forthcoming study by Schroth and others (in collaboration with CIAT-DAPA) extended this research to West-Africa and showed that especially increasing dry season temperatures will be an issue.

Read the full article: CIAT-DAPA