Mitigation of Climate Change through Conservation Agriculture

Abstract

Current and future global environmental change, in combination with population growth and increase in consumption per capital, poses a great threat to global food security.  In addition, it is predicted that up to 25% of world food production may be lost during the 21^st century due to climate change, water scarcity, invasive pests and land degradation.Smallholders in Ethiopia face widespread problems related to inappropriate cultivation, overgrazing and deforestation, resulting in soil erosion and soil fertility decline, water scarcity, lack of pasture and livestock feed, and fuel wood crisis. This cycles requiring urgent action and different approaches in the dry lands and highland areas adapting to climate change through land and Water management. Increasing weather variability and climate change are contributing to land and natural resource degradation by exposing soils to extreme conditions and straining the capacity of existing land management practices to maintain resource quality. Results include degradation of vegetation cover and loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, depletion of organic matter, reduced rainwater infiltration and water holding capacity of the soil and loss of productivity and effects on wider ecological functions. So that by considering the climate change as national and global condition it is a time to taking action through different alternatives. Among the options conservation agriculture system is one of non-substitutable option among others due to its smartness with climate change by improving soil fertility, water management and food security.

DOI: 10.7176/JNSR/12-1-03

Publication date: January 31^st 2021