TRD: GLOBAL WARMING AND AGRICULTURE: Tackling the challenges - an agricultural response
Contents:- Global warming: an introduction
- An action plan for the Western Cape
- Tackling the challenges - an agricultural response
- Downloads and useful links
- Contact us
Tackling the challenges of climate change – an agricultural response
The challenges of climate change would impact of three main factors in agriculture, viz. water availability and utilization, temperature change (affecting ripening of fruit, cold units, disease complexes, etc.) and conservation and economically viable practices for sustainable farming under these changing conditions. Furthermore, due to the expected fluctuations and more extreme incidents which may occur, the Department might have to deal with more disaster conditions like floods and droughts.
Over the last few years, the Department has engaged in various actions relating to climate change and has executed various projects and has published an array of reports.
Projects of importance – water management
- Identify drought sensitive areas within areas
- Water quality in the Western Cape (Department of Water Affairs)
- Research on effective use of irrigation water
- Alternative water resource management initiatives – development of non-explored water resources (desalination, Cape Flats Aquifer) and re-use of sewage water after appropriate treatment processes
- Savings on use in urban areas
- Eradication of invader plants
- Impact of land use on the salinity of the Berg River
Reports of importance – water management
- Promoting the effective use of water in the agricultural sector in the Western Cape
- Groundwater – enhancing the water supply of the Western Cape
- Decision support for long-term water resource management in semi-arid areas: insights from SA
- A study on the development and utilisation of the water from the Olifants/Doring river systems
- A study on the development and utilisation of the water from the Seweweekspoort river for the community of Zoar
- A study on the optimisation of water from the Stompdrift and Kamannasie Dams
- Study on the water economics in the Western Cape
Projects of importance – forecasting, production practices and crops
- Research on sustainable crop rotation and alternative farming systems
- Evaluation and introduction of new crops
- On-farm value adding/product differentiation
- Promotion of conservation farming
- Investigate establishment of a unit for research on game farming
- The use of existing satellite information to a) plan farming operations, b) in climate forecasts, c) crop predictions
- Development of a model to determine veld condition and grazing capacity for game, large stock and small stock
- Various projects on veld assessment and management – stock keeping and drought conditions
- Establishment of a seed production unit for indigenous arid plants
- Compiling a database from results of soil and water analytical surveys – indicating sensitive and/or problematic agricultural areas
- Analysis of monthly climatic and agricultural conditions – Agri-Outlook on website
- Various GIS projects (i.e. using remote sensing products to assist in drought monitoring)
- Development of prototype equipment and implements for the production of rooibos tea under conservation farming practises
- Enterprise viability related to geographical areas (Southern Cape and Swartland). In collaboration with GIS unit – various scenarios surrounding the effect of climate change on the agricultural sector in Western Cape
Climate Change as part of the Key Deliverables of the Department
The following two key deliverables of the Department for 2007/2008 underpin and support the climate change challenge:
Highlight the importance of water, biodiversity and natural resources of the province by launching a water wise and biodiversity awareness campaign in the two district municipalities with the highest agricultural water consumption.
In this regard, the following has been achieved:
- Officially launched on 4 September 2007 by MEC Cobus Dowry
- Exhibition at Mega Week show - Bredasdorp (Overberg)
- Exhibition at Bien Donné Expo in November (Winelands)
- 1 200 CDs with relevant information as well as career
opportunities within Agriculture were handed out
Complete the mapping for the indigenous honeybush tea species in the Western Cape
In this regard, the following has been achieved:
- All spatial data were collected
- All areas where honeybush plantings occur naturally was mapped
– growing conditions mapped
- Future objective: Create a map of potentially suitable areas for
honeybush tea cultivation
For the 2008/2009 period, the following key deliverables will form part of the climate change portfolio:
1. Extend the water wise and biodiversity awareness campaign to the other 3 district municipalities (Eden, West Coast and Breede River) and include 3 000 youths through Junior LandCare programme
2. Investigate the compilation of a real-time information website to assist farmers to increase water use efficiency of agricultural water
3. Establish indigenous seed production unit for the West Coast to ensure veld establishment and improvement
The way forward
In search of an adaptation and mitigation action plan for agriculture in the Western Cape, the Department will play a pivotal role in the following areas and actions:
- Active member of the Provincial Climate Change Committee
- Develop a provincial climate change strategic framework and action plan for agriculture
- Establish a coordinating committee for “Climate change in agriculture”
- Engage with stakeholders and give feedback on strategic framework and
action plan and way forward
- Ensure that there is an effective and integrated programme of climate change research and development in the Western Cape (this includes a database of climate change related research done/presently executed – baseline to determine research gaps) - support and expand on climate change related research and development
- Ensure climate change related education and training as part of the Departments’ communication strategy
- Develop a climate change page on the departmental website (visit …….)
- Finally, continue and expand the climate change adaptation and
mitigation portfolio of agriculture in the Western Cape
For more information, contact Dr. Ilse Trautmann (Departmental Representative: Provincial Climate Change Committee) or Mr. Andre Roux (Director: Sustainable Resource Management and expert on agricultural water management).
Continue to Downloads and useful links.
