Adopted drought mitigation strategies on paddy cultivation in Ampara district

Abstract

Climate change and rapid population growth create a major impact on food security in Asian countries (Lesk et al., 2016). Paddy productivity and especially rice production in Ampara region are highly affected by subsequent interactions of adverse climate change, prolonged drought, and very high temperature. Less and altered rainfall patterns have been identified as reasons for the recurrent drought throughout the world (Lobell et al., 2011). Barnabas, et al., (2008), states that decline in crop yields are resulted by the undesirable effects on plant reproduction and plant growth and physiology due to the prolonged droughts. Being an effect of climate change, global mean temperature of ocean and land surface has elevated by 0.85°C from the year of 1880 to 2012, while it is predicted to increase in temperature at least 0.2°C per a decade (IPCC, 2014). Meantime, the elevated level of greenhouse gases is a main factor contributing to global warming. Globally, the concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane have increased by 30 and 150 percent, respectively over the last 250 years (Lesk et al., 2016). Owing to its close connections with climate change and paddy production, it plays a significant role in the Sri Lankan economy due to its contribution to the national source of income and the livelihood of farmers in the Ampara district (Asmath, 2021). However, previous studies show that a paddy production plan targeted to grow an area of 67,923.56 ha in Ampara district was only sown on 67,415.11 ha due to a lack of water availability, and the total yield received was 338612.32 Mt in 2019. If the temperature rises by 0.4°C after a prolonged dry period, 2 to 5.9 percent of paddy production will be lost (Aheeyar, 2012). Therefore, suitable drought mitigation strategies adopted on paddy cultivation leads to increase the production in order to maintain our nation’s economy. So, this study will help the decision makers to consider these trends in policy formulations and in devising mitigation and resilience measures.