Does Climate-Smart Irrigated Agriculture Solve the Human-Wildlife Conflict?

Human-wildlife conflict is a significant issue in Sri Lanka, with conflicts between people and animals increasing in recent years due to habitat loss, human population growth, climate change, and agricultural expansion. Since we need an integrated system to mitigate human-wildlife conflict, Climate Fact Checks looked into how Smart Agriculture can be helpful.

Background

The Human-Wildlife conflict primarily involves elephants, leopards, and wild boar but also includes other animals like monkeys and peacock. More often than not, the humans and wildlife get into conflict due to the competition for food.  Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is an approach to farming that seeks to address the challenges posed by climate change while increasing agricultural productivity and resilience. 

 CSA is becoming increasingly crucial in Sri Lanka as the country faces various climate-related challenges, including droughts, flooding, and extreme weather events. Agriculture and food security are essential for the survival of humans and animals as neither parties can produce food like plants do. Thus they are called Heterotrophic organisms. Animals are divided into three groups: herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores. Regardless of the dietary preference all three of these groups are affected by climate change.

Crops have to be grown to feed people and satisfy the food demands. However, climate change is adding trouble to the farming traditional farming practices. Limited resources lead to increased competition among organisms. Professor Buddhi Marabe is a pioneer researcher in agriculture at the University of Peradeniya. He says that, in 2015, we had one of the best years of agriculture in the country. The year records the highest yields in rice and many other crops favored by climatic conditions. At that time German climate watch ranked Sri Lanka as 98, on the climate risk index. The indicators they used are the deaths from severe climate issues and the number of extreme weather events. In 2015 climate disasters were not commonly prevalent in the country, he explained. But unfortunately, 2016 and 2017 recorded severe climate disasters, including the Samsarakanda landslide, floods, and Mora cyclone. With that agricultural harvest also dropped, and Sri Lanka was categorized as a highly vulnerable country to climate change. 

Therefore innovations like climate-irrigated agriculture systems are essential. You may be curious about what climate-smart irrigated agriculture system is all about. Climate Smart Agriculture practices implemented in Sri Lanka include Conservation agriculture, Agroforestry, Drought-resistant crops,  Rainwater harvesting, and Improved irrigation systems. 

 Let’s look at how each of these practices can help mitigate human elephant conflict.

Agroforestry

Agroforestry is a sustainable agricultural system that combines the cultivation of trees with crops and livestock on the same land. Sri Lanka has a long history of practicing agroforestry, known locally as “Chena farming.” We have done a detailed article on chena farming and its sustainable practices. You can refer here.  Chena farming in Sri Lanka has been recognized as a unique ecologically sustainable and economically viable agroforestry system.

Agroforestry practices such as alley cropping, intercropping, etc, are also being promoted in the country. These practices can help to increase crop yields, reduce soil erosion, and provide fodder for livestock. This involves integrating trees into agricultural landscapes to provide shade, improve soil fertility, and reduce erosion risk. But, on the other hand, it provides habitats for animals. This can be done so that the animals do not feel that it is a cultivated land. Hence, reducing the chances of conflict.

The Sri Lankan government has recognized the importance of agroforestry and has taken steps to promote it through various programs and policies. For example, the National Agroforestry Policy was introduced in 2016 to encourage the adoption of sustainable agroforestry practices nationwide. The government has also established the Sri Lanka Agroforestry Network to promote information sharing and collaboration among agroforestry stakeholders.

Conservation agriculture

This involves reducing soil disturbance, maintaining soil cover, and rotating crops to improve soil health and reduce erosion. National resources management center introduced policies and techniques on soil conservation. These included,

·   Implementation of the Soil Conservation Act

·   Building awareness of the Soil Conservation Act

·   Organizing training programs

·   Implementation of Soil Conservation demonstration

·   Conservation of micro watersheds

They support establish soil conservation structures in sloping agricultural lands by providing technical knowledge. This is essential for hill country plantations where several landslides occurred due to a lack of expertise in conducting agriculture practices on slopes. NRMC also supports the demarcation of contour lines for land development and the establishment of soil conservation measures. Cultivation based on contour lines is beneficial for fertilizer management and water management. Although this is now used according to modern techniques, how this method also existed in the  “Helmalu Cultivation” in Sri Lanka is an excellent example of contour line rice cultivation. Not only are rice, but farmers involved in vegetable cultivation in Nuwara Eliya, Kothmale, Thalathuoya, and Bellwoods still use this contour line concept. Currently, these contour lines are marked using a laser device, which is easy to handle, saves time, and reduces soil erosion. However, animals enter human settlements in search of food. This has led to significant crop damage and, in turn, retaliatory killing of animals by farmers. However, increasing yield can build up connectivity between humans and problematic wildlife. 

Rainwater harvesting and tank restoration in the dry zone

Rainwater harvesting is the most essential in the journey of Climate Change adaptation. This involves capturing rainwater and using it for irrigation during dry periods. Professor Buddhi Marambe explains that “traditional Sri Lankans have created tank cascade system(Wawa) to store rainwater in the rainy season called “Mahakanna vasi” and use it for cultivating in the dry season called,” Yala”.

Animals falling into cultivation wells is very common in Sri Lanka. You will often hear similar incidences in news.. Traditional Wawa systems are vast reservoirs since they have sufficient water for human and animal needs. We have constantly seen animals and humans using these in cooperation. As we have limited resources in the face of ongoing climate change, it is critical to use them sustainably.

Due to the current temperature, in the last few decades, only the largest tanks can sustain water. Also, during severe droughts, the water level of the Mahawewa decreases to a great extent.

Sri Lanka needs such water-preserving systems to adapt to climate change since the country is at the top of the climate vulnerability group.

CSIAP project is supporting tank restoration in the dry zone of Sri Lanka. It carries on eleven districts in the dry area of the country. Project design for rehabilitating and repairing around 1190 small tanks come under 121 cascade (Ellanga) systems in 10 river basins such as Mee Oya, Modaragan Aru, Yan Oya, Kala Oya, Peru Aru, and a few more. This project welfares nearly 58000 families who depend on agriculture. Project inspiring the agriculture and livelihood of small-scale tank-based farming communities living in eleven districts’ most climatically vulnerable farming areas.

Let`s focus on human elephant conflict.

When we think about yields, it is not something limited to humans but also a need for the survival of animals. Unfortunately, climate change challenges crops and products, affecting animals leaving them starving. It encourages animals to come out from their natural environments to where food is available. The human-elephant conflict was created due to this main problem and obstruction of their corridors.  We discussed several methods to solve this problem in our previous articles with the opinions of elephant experts Dr.Pruthiviraj Fernando and Supun Lahiru Prakash. They suggested a “seasonal electric fencing model” at that time. This method was successfully followed in the Hambantota and Trincomalee districts. Luckily, the government has moved this approach to other districts also, and we will update you soon after they get the results.

Drought-resistant crops

This involves selecting and breeding crops that can withstand drought conditions, such as drought-tolerant rice varieties. Professor, Buddhi Marabe says, “If there are high temperatures in June and July, it leads to “Ehela pussa” in rice. This means immature rice seeds that cannot be consumed. Hence, drought-resistant rice varieties are now introduced to farmers.” 

Tissue culture techniques as the smart option

Regarding climate change mitigation, tissue culture can play a role in several ways. First, tissue culture, also known as micropropagation, is a technique used to propagate plants asexually under sterile conditions. This method is widely used in agriculture and horticulture to produce many identical plants with desirable traits. Tissue culture plants develop in the laboratory, and after specific growth, they are transferred to a greenhouse or natural environment. Laboratory and greenhouses typically use well-managed irrigation systems, which saves water usage. 

Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during photosynthesis and store it in their tissues. Therefore, by propagating more plants through tissue culture, we can increase the amount of carbon sequestered from the atmosphere and stored in plant biomass.

Tissue culture can produce large numbers of seedlings for reforestation efforts. Reforestation can help to mitigate climate change by sequestering carbon, reducing erosion, and providing habitat for wildlife.

Tissue culture can be used to produce disease-free and high-yielding crops, which can help increase food production and reduce the need for deforestation to make way for new agricultural land.

Overall, tissue culture has the potential to contribute to climate change mitigation efforts by conserving plant species, sequestering carbon, promoting reforestation, and supporting sustainable agriculture. 

In a nutshell 

Addressing the issue of human-wildlife conflict in Sri Lanka requires a multi-pronged approach, including habitat conservation, improving livelihoods, and implementing effective mitigation measures. Climate Smart Agriculture is becoming increasingly crucial in Sri Lanka as the country faces various climate-related challenges. The possible solutions in Sri Lanka include Conservation agriculture, Agroforestry, Drought-resistant crops,  Rainwater harvesting,  Improved irrigation systems, and tissue culture. With these, we can be optimistic about using sustainable farming to stop the Human-Wildlife conflict shortly. 

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