Climate change
Agri and climate change
How one region is planning ahead to
help farmers cope with climate change
by Stephanie Midgley, UCT
I
n South Africa’s Western Cape, agriculture plays an important role in the economy, job creation and socioeconomic development. But the sector is particularly vulnerable to a changing climate. There have thus been
calls for urgent action to guide and support the agricultural sector to adapt to the unavoidable impact of
climate change. And to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.
Relevant government departments recognised that a strategic and
coordinated approach was needed to develop long-term resilience
to climate change. This could be done through climate-smart
agriculture and by placing the sector on a clear pathway towards
a green economy.
The project has thus far achieved an understanding of expected
climate risks and impacts and vulnerabilities in agriculture. It has
established the important linkages between resource sectors, water,
energy and agricultural production. It also showed that vulnerability
is high across the sector.
To do this, the University of Cape Town and two provincial
government departments - Agriculture, and Environmental Affairs
and Development Planning - collaborated on the Smart Agriculture
for Climate Resilience programme.
One of the project’s key successes was a framework to battle the
harsh impact of climate change. Areas that have a much milder
climate and where climate change will not be as dramatic have
also been identified. These may become the future centres of food
production.
First of its kind
This is the first provincial climate change policy for agriculture
in South Africa. The project specifically focuses on food security
and promotes climate-smart agriculture. One of the key goals is
to optimise the sustainable use of water and land resources to
increase climate-smart agricultural production.The programme is
premised on collaborative planning and action within and between
the public and private sectors.
Capacity to adapt
There is existing capacity in the Western Cape’s agricultural sector
to adapt to the added stresses of climate change. Local companies
are already providing energy-saving low-carbon solutions to farms
and agri-businesses.
Leading wine estates have installed energy-saving measures and
systems for renewable energy generation. The FruitLook project is
using satellite images to help fruit farmers increase their irrigation
efficiency. The project has taken a strong spatial approach, creating
23 spatial zones. This is because the risks and impacts of climate
change will differ widely across the province. It is all dependent on
climate, soils, vegetation and farming systems.
Western marginal grain zones such as the “Rooi Karoo - Aurora”
are expected to shift to livestock production. This zone will become
hotter and drier. Some zones could benefit from mild warming and
wetting, for example, the southern “GrootBrak-Plett” zone.
The project proposes a focus on four strategic areas with the
aim to:
ff Promote a climate-resilient low-carbon production system
that is productive, competitive, equitable and ecologically
sustainable.
ff Strengthen effective climate disaster risk reduction and
management for agriculture.
ff Strengthen monitoring, data and knowledge management
and sharing, and lead strategic research for climate
change and agriculture.
ff Ensure good cooperative governance and joint planning
for effective climate change response implementation for
agriculture.
ff It is also important that climate change considerations
be integrated into longer-term resource and economic
planning.
Another round of stakeholder engagements will ensure that the
plan is realistic and implementable. The project will be completed
during March 2016.
From theconversation.com media service.
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SABI | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2016