Piggery: from environmental pollution to a climate change solution

Pig farms are a vital component of rural economies in Australia. However, disposal of effluent leads to many environmental problems. This case study of the Berrybank Farm piggery waste management system in Victoria estimates greenhouse gas (GHG) benefits from three different activities. Analysis reveals that the capturing and combusting of methane from piggery effluent could save between 4859 and 5840 tCO2e yr−1 ofGHGemissions. Similarly, using methane for replacing fuels for electricity generation could save another 800 tCO2e/yr of GHGs. Likewise, by utilizing the biogas wastes to replace inorganic fertilizers there could be a further saving of 1193 to 1375 tCO2e yr−1 of GHG, depending on the type of fertilizers the waste replaces. Therefore, a well-managed piggery farm with 15,000 pigs could save 6,852 to 8,015 tCO2e/yr, which equates to the carbon sequestrated from 6,800 to 8,000 spotted gum trees (age = 35 year) in their above plus below-ground biomass. Implementation of similar project in suitable areas in Australia could have significant environmental and financial benefits

Climate change and indigenous people: perceptions of transhumant herders and implications to the transhumance system in the Himalayas

Climate change poses differential vulnerability for different communities, sectors and regions. People, whose subsistence livelihood is based on the direct utilisation of natural resources are most affected by climate change and have different but accurate perceptions of climate change than those people following modern lifestyles. The herders of the higher Himalayas follow vertical transhumance and combine it with subsistence agriculture for their livelihood. Although, climate models have predicted pronounced warming in high altitude areas of the Himalayas and there are many indications that climate change impacts different aspects of transhumance, there is no information on how transhumant herders have perceived change in climate and how these changes might impact transhumance system. One hundred and forty five transhumant herders were interviewed from three Village Development Committees (VDCs) namely Khumjung in Solukhumbu, Kalinchok in Dolakhaand Majhigaun in Bajhang; representing Eastern, Central and far-Western mountainous areas of Nepal respectively to explore their perceptions about climate change and other observed changes in biophysical indicators. About 80% of the herders perceived increasing summer temperature, 92% decreasing winter rainfall and more than 93% noticed decreasing snowfall. Majority of the herders agreed that there was fast melting of snow in the rangelands, rainfall events were becoming more and more unpredictable, drought events increased, there was early induce in greenery and maturity of grasses in the rangelands and appearance of new livestock diseases. These observations suggest that transhumant herders in the Himalayas have experienced change in climatic variables and have noticed change in bio-physical indicators that have implications to the transhumance system. The findings help to devise adaptation strategies for indigenous communities and incorporate them in the climate change policies in the Himalayas

An analysis of Australia's carbon pollution reduction scheme

The authors review the decision-making since the Labour Government came into office (November 2007). The Australian Government’s ‘Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme’ White Paper (15 December 2008) proposes that an Australian Emissions Trading Scheme (AETS) be implemented in mid-2010. Acknowledging that the scheme is comprehensive, the paper finds that in many cases, Australia will take a softer approach to climate change through the AETS than the European Union ETS(EUETS). The paper assesses key issues in the White Paper such as emissions reduction targets, GHG coverage, sectoral coverage, inclusion of unlimited quantities of offsets from Kyoto international markets and exclusion of deforestation activities

Effectiveness of community forest user groups (CFUGs) in responding to the 2015 earthquakes and COVID-19 in Nepal

Natural disasters and pandemics are evolving as major global threats that are posing an enormous challenge to socio-economic and environmental wellbeing. Using a real time analysis of the impressive role played by Community Forest User Groups (CFUGs) in Nepal in responding to the 2015 earthquakes (Earthquake-15) and COVID-19, this paper explores the scopes, capacities, institutional strengths and attributes required for community-based institutions such as CFUGs to become effective in managing and responding natural or other disasters. Our findings suggest that being an autonomous and well-recognized community based institution with trusted social capital (trust, connectedness, norms and network) for collective action together with its scope and mandate to democratically manage and mobilize its physical, financial, natural and human assets, CFUGs have become the most effective institution to provide immediate support to disaster affected communities. While most of other agencies including non-governmental organizations spend a lot of time exploring avenues for immediate response to the disasters, CFUGs have immediate access and infrastructure to support millions of people in rural areas. We argue that this contribution needs to be recognized, and CFUGs can provide a valuable institutional framework for the preparedness, response and recovery from disasters and to build resilience in the future

Spectral discrimination of bulloak (Allocasuarina luehmannii) and associated woodland for habitat mapping of the endangered bulloak jewel butterfly (Hypochrysops piceata) in southern Queensland

The bulloak jewel butterfly (Hypochrysops piceata) is an endangered species due to a highly restricted distribution and complex life history, yet little is known of the availability of suitable habitat for future conservation. The aim of this study was to examine the potential of hyperspectral reflectance data for the discrimination of woodland species in support of bulloak jewel butterfly’s habitat mapping. Sites from known butterfly sightings in Leyburn, Southern Queensland, Australia, were examined using hyperspectral scanning and vegetation species discrimination. Reflectance data of eight woodland vegetation species (Allocasuarina luehmannii, Eucalyptus crebra, Eucalyptus populnea, Callitris glauca, Corymbia maculata, Angophora leicarpa, Acacia sparsiflora, and Jacksonia scoparia) were collected at the leaf and canopy levels using a full-range (350 to 2500 nm) hand-held nonimaging spectroradiometer. Partial least square (PLS) regression was used to interpret the bulloak tree spectra against other vegetation species. The PLS results indicated high-prediction accuracies ranging from 78% to 95% and 52% to 5% for canopy and leaf levels, respectively. The highest spectral separability was observed at the near-infrared bands (approximately at 700 to 1355 nm), followed by selected ranges in the short-wave infrared band where separability peaked at 1670 and 2210 nm. The results confirmed the feasible use of hyperspectral sensing for discriminating vegetation species and its potential use for habitat mapping of the endangered bulloak jewel butterfly

Virtual Discussions to Support Climate Risk Decision Making on Farms

Climate variability represents a significant risk to farming enterprises. Effective extension of climate information may improve climate risk decision making and adaptive management responses to climate variability on farms. This paper briefly reviews current agricultural extension approaches and reports stakeholder responses to new web-based virtual world ‘discussion-support’ tools developed for the Australian sugar cane farming industry. These tools incorporate current climate science and sugar industry better management practices, while leveraging the social-learning aspects of farming, to provide a stimulus for discussion and climate risk decision making. Responses suggest that such virtual world tools may provide effective support for climate risk decision making on Australian sugar cane farms. Increasing capacity to deliver such tools online also suggests potential to engage large numbers of farmers globally

An assessment of silvipasture potential in southeast Queensland, Australia

The Queensland State Government provides incentives for landholders to establish hardwood plantations on former pasture and cropping areas; however the long-term viability of the timber plantation program in medium to low rainfall areas remains questionable. In order to make hardwood plantations viable, some value adding is necessary. Thus, several trials including silvipastoral systems have been undertaken. This paper assesses both the successes of the trials and the additional benefits resulting from grazing in spotted gum (Corymbia citriodora subspecies variegata) plantations at Taabinga, southeast Queensland. The results show that at the optimal harvesting age of 31 years, the cumulative net present value from pasture alone would be A$779/ha. Therefore, there is considerable opportunity for increasing financial returns through the inclusion of pasture within plantations without reducing the rotation age of plantations. This silvipasture system will also offer other benefits such as improvements in soil conservation, soil and biomass carbon sequestration and biodiversity

Beyond the carbon economy: the energy law in transition [Book review]

Review of: Beyond the Carbon Economy: The Energy Law in Transition, edited by Donald N. Zillman, Catherine Redgwell, Yinka O. Omorogbe and Lila K. Barrera-Hernandaz, Oxford University Press, Oxford, xv, 562 pp. ISBN 13: 9780199532698

Achieving Water, Energy, and Food Security in Nepal Through Nexus Approach to Planning and Development

Nepal’s agriculture sector contributes 29% to national GDP and provides employment to about 60% of the labor force. The agricultural development planning in the country follows the sectoral or silo approach failing to understand and adopt the intricate nexus relationship and linkages among water, energy, and food (W–E–F) production and the protection of environment. This paper identifies problems and causes of low agricultural productivity and demonstrates that abundant water resources are available for irrigation of existing rainfed lands to increase agricultural productivity and meet multi-sectoral energy requirement of the country. It presents three case studies on the application of the nexus framework to improve W–E–F productivity. The first two pertain to multipurpose development projects under construction phase in Nepal while the third pertains to greenhouse gas emissions reduction through conservation agriculture-based sustainable intensification at field level across the Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains, including two Terai districts of Nepal. The paper provides a perspective on the importance of W–E–F nexus as an integrated planning framework to address the integral issues and achieve the SDGs by developing countries. It argues that the developing countries whose economies are primarily dependent on the natural resources cannot afford to ignore the W–E–F nexus framework to meet the growing needs of water, energy, and food and the sustainability of the natural resource base for the current and future generations. It further discusses the necessity of the nexus perspective for the sustainable development of Nepal where water resources are central for the generation of energy and development of irrigation infrastructures to increase food production. This enhances a circular relation among the nexus elements in which water becomes the key and central element that drives the circularity of the nexus. This is critically important for Nepal because water is the only abundant resource available that must be utilized effectively integrating the development of hydro-energy, irrigation infrastructures, flood control, and human and industrial consumptions

Assessing the Potential of Agroforestry in Nepal: Socio-economic and Environmental Perspectives

Raising trees in and around farmlands with field crops (agroforestry) is an age-old farming practice in Nepal. However, modern agriculture has overshadowed tree-based farming as it emphasized high-yielding crop varieties to increase profit and farm productivity. Moreover, the importance of institutional setup and policy framework supporting its promotion has also been ignored in Nepal. As a result, we have witnessed environmental problems such as land degradation, water quality deterioration, and biodiversity loss, leading to food insecurity in some cases. In recent years, when the climate change issue surfaced, the importance of integrating trees with crops has received new impetus, with numerous examples of agroforestry systems improving farmers’ livelihoods and food security and contributing to degraded land restoration and biodiversity conservation. This development is positively contributing to several UN sustainable development goals (SDGs) such as eliminating poverty (#1), clean water and sanitation (#6), climate action (#13), and life on land (#15). Agroforestry systems with integrated land use hold the potential of becoming a more sustainable alternative to crop-focused farming in Nepal. There are, however, constraints to it, such as small landholding, lack of an institutional setup, lack of access to credit facility, lack of market infrastructures, and in some situations, farmers’ indifference towards environmental benefits. Some agroforestry practices are less labour intensive, which is an opportunity in the present socio-economic context of Nepal, where farmers are forced to leave their farmlands fallow due to labour scarcity resulting from youths out-migrating for jobs. More research is needed to explore the full potential of such promising systems with integrated land use in Nepal