Diversification of Coastal Agroecosystems for Climate Resilience and Livelihood Security

The Indian coastal region of India is known for its rich diversity of climate, topography, soils,crops, livestock, fisheries, etc. Despite the abundance of natural resources, the productivity of crops and livestock in this region is poor as compared to the inland regions. Unlike the other parts of the country, the region faces unique problems like demographic pressure, land degradation, rapid urbanization, industrialization, environmental pollution, and climate change effects like increased frequency of floods, droughts, cyclones, and sea level rises. The majority of nations with sizable coastal ecosystems are threatened by extreme weather and climate change. Therefore, appropriate measures must be adopted, especially in developing nations, to lessen the vulnerability of farming communities in coastal areas. An integral part of a diverse agroecosystem, agroforestry offers both rural and urban residents a variety of necessary goods and services. The benefits that trees offer are best retained by incorporating them into agriculturally productive landscapes as natural vegetation is cleared for agriculture and other development types. Various proven agroforestry models are available for different ecologies, farming systems and their management regimes, farmer’s resources and knowledge base. These can be practiced in a spectrum of combinations, designs and scales, from subsistence to commercial farming for different purposes, such as timber, fodder, fruits, medicinal, energy, etc. In essence, agroforestry provides two things: products, and services. Some of the common products are foods and beverages, fruits, nuts, oils,gums, resins, latex, flavours, leaves for food and nutrition, feed for livestock, wood for fuel,biomass for energy generation, and medications for treating illness. As hosts to edible insects, bee habitats for pollination, shelter from the sun and wind, modification of micro-climates, nitrogen fixation, increased soil carbon, erosion control, habitat for biodiversity, and better water regulation, including groundwater recharge, agroforestry also offer a variety of benefits. Tree integration in food-producing systems can be practiced in all ecologies, social settings, and farming systems in various designs and combinations. A portfolio of trees are developed for different purposes; income and nutrition security, resilience to climate change, enhance land productivity, market needs of timber, etc. without sacrificing the farm income. To understand the challenges, potential, and opportunities of agroforestry in the coastal ecosystem, and to promote co-learning through CIFOR-ICRAF’s Asia Continental Program in collaboration with ICARCCARI an International Training Program on Diversification of Coastal Agroecosystems for Climate Resilience and Livelihood Security is being organized at ICAR-CCARI, Goa, India during 07th to 11th November 2022. This training would be vital for priority setting of research and policy decisions. The training will also be very useful for planning the road map for sustainable development of the coastal agriculture and allied sectors.

---

• Lihat sumber