Bangkok Post : Study finds farms need help to weather climate change

AGRICULTURE

Proper and timely intervention, including efficient water management, is needed to help ease the impact of climate change on the farming sector, a recent study says.

The study by the international aid agency Oxfam shows that farmers in areas where up-to-date on-farm facilities are in place can deal with the negative impact better than those lacking such aids.

The agency last year launched a pilot project to help 57 farming families in Yasothon province to cope with unusually severe drought and floods by putting in place proper irrigation systems and promoting multi-cropping.

Farmers in the province have seen a drop in rice production in recent years which the agency believes is associated with climate change, said Supaporn Anuchiracheeva, Oxfam project coordinator.

After the last harvest it was found the crop yields of the assisted farmers were up an average of 27% on last year. she said. Around 512 farming families without irrigation support saw an average reduction of 40% in rice output.

"The project's outcome indicates that it is vital to offer support to farmers to deal with the effects of climate change," Ms Supaporn said. "The state should take this concern seriously."

The study also reflects the need to reach out to other larger farming regions suffering from climate change.

"There are many more farmers in need of such assistance in other vulnerable areas," she said.

Food security would be threatened if there are poor harvests.

"If this trend worsens, the poor in rural areas as well as urbanites could experience food shortages."

It the problem continues and rice exports fall, the economy would be dealt another blow.

Anond Snidvongs, director of the Global Change System for Analysis, Research and Training, said farmers needed to be better prepared to deal with the effects of climate change.

Mr Anond said his research showed dry weather and floods were a continual threat to farmers, especially those in the Northeast.

There had been a sharp decline in rainstorms in Thailand over the past 30 years, he said.

The average number of tropical depressions has fallen from 30 to 10 annually during the period, and tropical storms from 55 to 35, and typhoons from 70-80 to 45-50.

Rainstorms are very important to northeastern farmers. Their absence means farmers do not have enough water for their crops.

Farmers also have experienced unusually heavy floods which have damaged their crops.

"They should be aided to meet the challenge," Mr Anond said. "For example, there should be a system to help them store water from unusually heavy downpours for use during the dry season."