Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture

in Banepa Municipality, Kavre District,

Nepal

Journal Details : Jounal of APF Command and Staff College (2021) 4:1,
106-119
Writer:- Mira Giri and Dhundi Raj Dahal
Corresponding Editor:- Ramesh Raj Kunwar
Received: 30 August, 2020
Accepted: 12 October, 2020

Presented By
Sabita Dulal
Poonam Sherbuja
Pushpa Bhattarai
 Introduction
 Climate change- A shift in the mean variability of a climate's attributes over a
prolonged period of time, typically decades or longer.(IPCC, 2013)
 The global average surface temperature (1880-2012) increased by 0.85 [0.65 to
1.06]0C.(IPCC, 2013)
 A decline in agricultural productivity due to climate change will have an
impact on the livelihood of two-thirds of Nepal's labor force living in rural
areas. (Pant, 2012)
 The AR5 report has revealed the number of warm days and nights has
increased a global scale since 1950
• a phenomenon due to emissions of greenhouse gases from gas combustion,
deforestation, urbanization, and industrialization, resulting in variants in solar
energy, temperature, and precipitation. Upreti (1999)

• Climate change impacts water sources and agriculture, and geological

processes such as landslides, floods, desertification, and in long-term meals
safety and human health (Malla, 2008).

• Warming has also been greater in the western part of the country than in the
eastern part (Malla, 2008).

• Increase of pest, severity of diseases in host plant and demand of more use of
pesticides. Malla (2008)
 Objective
 To investigate climatic trends and the effects of climate variability on the
main agricultural production systems.
 This research was conducted to study the trends of Change and impact in
climate variations in the major crop production systems
 This type of local study has not been carried till date since this is the research
gap in this field. Therefore, the impact of climate change on major cereals
crops seems to be significant in Banepa Municipality, Kavre district, Nepal.
 Materials and Methods

 Study area- Banepa Municipality's nine different wards, with the exception of
2 and 6 (200 households)
 Sample size- Ward nos. 1(12), 3(17), 4(17), 5(26), 7 (24), 8(35), 9(29), 10(29),
and 11(11). (Babble, 1990; Fowler, 2002; Creswell, 2009).
 Sample interval- Schofield (2006), Kalton (1983), and Cochran (1977)
 Correlation between climate and cereal crop yields- data spanning 27 years
 Dhulikhel station's temperature and precipitation data (1993 to 2019)
(DHM)
 The cereal yield statistics for the Kavre district (1993 to 2019) (MoALD)
 Survey's conduct period- February 26 to March 14, 2020
 Study area:
Banepa Municipality of
Kavrepalanchowk district was selected
elected as a study area.

District that lies in the Bagmati province

with Dhulikhel as its district headquarters

Bordered to the east by Ramechhap and

Dolalghat, west by Kathmandu valley.

Cliamtic zone : lower tropical zone

having elevation range below 300 meters
(1000 ft.), upper tropical zone (300 to
1000 meters
Map of Nepal, Kavre district and Banepa
 Results

Source: DHM, 2020

 People’s perception of climate change: discussed how their lives have been
affected by changes in the local climate but are unsure about the effects of
climate change (13%- had never heard of climate change while 87%- had heard
about it)

 People’s perception towards the changes in soil: naturally delicate and prone
to deterioration. Throughout the pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons,
landslides, wind, and water runoff cause enormous losses of topsoil. (59%-
seeing changes in the soil, whereas 41%- reported not seeing any changes)
 Perception on trend of climate change
parameters
a) annual precipitation: 11%- increasing, 76%- decreasing and 13%- same
b) annual temperature: 81%- increasing, 10%- decreasing and 9%- same
c) winds/ storms change: 60%- increasing, 12%- decreasing, 15%- same and
13%- do not know
d) fog occurrence: 57%- increasing, 24%- decreasing, 8%-same and 11%- don’t
know
e) hailstone amount: 28%- increasing, 17%- decreasing, 43%-same and 12%-
don’t know
f) cold waves days: 24%- increasing, 62%- decreasing, 13%- same and 7%-
don’t know
g) heatwave days: 51%- increasing, 14%- decreasing, 26%- same and 9%-not
known
 Impact of climatic change on agriculture: 86%- direct impact and 14%- no
impact. Similarly, the perception on the sensitivity of agricultural productivity
with climate change 49%- sensitive, 23%- highly sensitive, 16%- less sensitive
and 12%- unknown

 Adaptation measures by the farmers: local agriculture adaptation practice,

23%- changing crop varieties, 96%- used improved seed, 47%- changing
cropping patterns, 64%-intercropping, 58%- Land management technology and
53%- terracing, 93%- chemical fertilizer and pesticides and no system of water
harvesting.
 Discussion
 Slightly change in environmental parameters

 The production rate of cereal crops (rice, maize, and wheat) is going to slightly
increase in recent years as a comparison of the previous year.

 The local people were not satisfied with the production of local varieties in
different sectors of production so they were changing varieties of cereal crops,
used improved seeds, chemical fertilizer, and pesticides

 Many problems such as rain deficit, heavy rain, flood, frost, and drought

 adopting a variety of options and technologies which include changing crop

varieties, the use of improved seeds of cereal crops, changing cropping patterns,
practicing intercropping systems, terracing sloping lands to halt landslide and
erosion, use of chemical fertilizers, and pesticides.
 Conclusion
 Fulfilled the gap of research in the climate change context of cereal crops on
mid-hill, Banepa Municipality of Nepal

 The perception and experiences of the change of climatic variability reveal the
fact of changing climate

 Farmers have experienced that the rainfall is untimely and the temperature has
increased

 Farmers have experienced new diseases and weeds in the field crops

 The outbreak of new diseases and weeds could be the effects of climate change

 The irrigation system could be a long term solution for the untimed rainfall
problem.
 References
 IPCC(2013). Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of
Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change. In: Stocker TF, Qin D, Plattner GK, Tignor M, Allen SK,
Boschung J, Nauels A, Xia Y, Bex V, Midgley PM, editors. Cambridge
University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA. 1535

 Pant, K.P.(2012). Climate Change and Food Security in Nepal.The Journal of

Agricultural and Environment, 13(5).

 Creswell, J. W.(2009). Research Design. New Delhi: Sage Publication.

 DHM(2019). Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Babarmahal,

Kathmandu, Nepal. Rainfall and Temperature Data of Dhulikhel State From
1993- 2019. (www.dhm.gov.np)

 MoPE (2010). State of the Environment Nepal (Agriculture and Forest).

Kathmandu: Ministry of Population and Environment, HMG.
Comments will be appreciated.