2 weeks Ago By Engr. Saddam Hussain
Tarbela is empty. Mangla is at dead level. This is what we were hearing most of the time when we tuned tin o any news outlet this winter.
It’s an utter fact that climate change has badly disrupted the pattern of rainfall, and resultantly, induced water scarcity for the Kharif season. It has been many years in sequence now, when the dry winters are followed by rainy springs. This delayed occurrence of rainfall is something very disturbing, as far as the farm produce of Pakistan is concerned.
In the winter season, the snow recharges the water-batteries of northern mountains, which sustain the flow in the Indus system all year long. With delayed winter rainfall, there are fewer chances of complete replenishment of the snow reserves, and resultantly, fewer chances for sustained flow in the Indus system network. This factor is, indeed, among the emerging threats to our crop production and food security.
The reduced flow in the rivers and the exhausted storage of the dams are something we discuss more often. Anti-polio campaign set for April 21-25 What is more important but less-discussed are the climate-induced conditions that are predominantly reducing our farm produce. Let’s take wheat as an example, which is the most important cereal crop of Pakistan.
In the month of March, the wheat crop reaches its flowering stage. Any abrupt change in atmospheric or soil parameters, such as humidity and temperature, may result in a considerable reduction. With more-than-normal spring rains, the humidity and temperature change in an abnormal manner during the most sensitive stage of growth.
These changes not only affect the crop directly, but give rise to secondary issues, such as disease spread and poor pollination. In wheat, for instance, the excessive spring rainfall may lead to many fungal attacks, including rust. Rust is also hazardous to pollinators in the sense that it demands excessive pesticide application.
The process of pollination is very sensitive to factors like temperature change, pesticide application, and change in precipitation patterns. The challenge of climate change has increased the frequency of hailstorms. This puts the life and functioning of pollinators like bees at a high risk.
The challenges mentioned here are not restricted to the wheat crop alone. There are other plants, especially orchards, which are badly affected by these abrupt changes in temperature and humidity. Steps being taken to make Vehari clean, green The disturbed climate pattern has severely affected the production of plum and apricot orchards in the districts of Swat, Malakand and Mardan.
In the months of February and March, when these orchards are in their flowering stage, the abrupt changes in climate, such as unexpected temperature rise, hailstorms and gusting winds come into action. The interplay of premature flower fall, plant injuries and subsequent fungal attacks and disturbed pollinators leads to a heavy cut in production. There are very few plum orchards left in Malakand and Mardan where such production cuts are not observed.
A similar problem is with apricot orchards. Because of the relatively harder nature of apricot, it is less severely affected, though the impact is evident. It has been about three consecutive years now, since the production level of apricot plummeted significantly.
Climate change, in this way, is erasing the region’s long-maintained status of “best plum and apricot producing area”. The disturbed weather parameters are not only shrinking the production levels directly, but also triggering a chain of complications. One such example is the relation between wildfires and a cut in production levels.
DPO secures healthcare welfare initiative for cops This year, due to a massive wildfire that erupted many kilometers away from my hometown, the dislocated swine population caused unimaginable damage to the wheat fields in my village. This is just one small aspect of a wider chain reaction that starts mostly with drought and disturbs us in unimaginable ways. Climate change is not about weather extremes, heatwaves, habitat loss, water scarcity, and food insecurity alone.
It’s a multifaceted menace that is affecting us in ways that are not totally conceivable at present. Imagine a nocturnal human where the daylight temperature becomes unbearable for carrying out routine outdoor tasks. Imagine all the weather forecast applications are rendered useless by climate anomalies.
Imagine the pest infestations and insect swarms turn all the available pesticides resistant. These are the images that portray a blurred future picture, especially for the underprivileged, underdeveloped, and unprepared. One dacoit killed, four escape after police encounter Engr.
Saddam Hussain The writer is the Assistant Agricultural Engineer at KPK Agriculture Department. Tags: horizon.
