Mitigating Climate Change in Panama's Agriculture Assignment Sample

Introduction Of Climate Change Risk Assessment And Adaptation Plan In Panama Country's Agricultural Sector

Overview of the CHG emission sources

Climate change represents serious dangers to Panama's agricultural economy, needing a thorough risk assessment along with an adaptation strategy. Understanding the primary sources of emissions of greenhouse gasses (GHG) constitutes an essential to employing effective mitigation methods in this ecosystem. The agriculture industry in Panama is contributing to GHG emissions in a variety of ways. Land use change, especially deforestation for agricultural expansion is a major factor. Enteric decomposition in cattle, and rice paddies, along with organic waste degradation in landfills all contribute to emissions of methane (Castillero et al. 2022). Emissions of Nitrous Oxide are caused by the usage of fertilizers that contain nitrogen along with the management of wastes. Agricultural operations need energy-intensive procedures such as agriculture, automation, and transportation, which result in carbon dioxide emissions. Carbon dioxide emissions are increased further by agricultural waste burning and fires in forests. Another thing is that livestock management methods such as dung storage and utilization add to GHG emissions. To address such sources of emissions, some specialized techniques such as environmentally friendly land management, enhanced livestock practices, effective fertilizer usage, and the use of energy from renewable sources in agricultural activities are required (Adams et al. 2021). To protect Panama's agricultural industry and maintain its ability to adapt in the context of climate change threats. A rigorous risk assessment, as well as an adaptation strategy, must be developed.

Attempts made by Panama country to reduce emissions over the past 10 years

Panama has implemented significant efforts over the last decade to deal with climate change threats and decrease emissions in its agriculture sector. Several programs and legislative measures have been adopted to increase agricultural resilience and long-term sustainability.

1. Reforestation as well as afforestation projects: In order to repair devastated regions and boost carbon capture and storage, Panama has undertaken massive reforestation operations. Reforestation efforts have been launched in order to generate new forests and thereby reduce carbon dioxide levels (Makara, 2021).
2. Sustainable land management: To prevent deforestation as well as degradation of soil, the nation has encouraged sustainable land use methods, promoting farmers to adopt agriculture, conservation farming, and ecological agriculture.
3. Improvement of livestock management: To reduce emissions of methane from enteric fermentation, Panama has focused on improving livestock operations such as adopting new feed and feeding procedures.
4. Climate-smart agriculture: Government action has encouraged the use of climate-smart agricultural methods such as robust crop types and water-efficient systems for irrigation.
5. Integration of renewable energy: Panama has experienced gains in encouraging renewable energy sources within the agricultural sector, such as irrigation powered by sunlight as well as bioenergy from agricultural waste (Howland, Le Coq, & Acosta, 2019).

Figure 1: Reduction level of emission in Panama

(Source:https://climatepositions.com/share-of-global-climate-debt-rank-70th-71st-and-72nd-equatorial-guinea-panama-and-dominican-republic-combined-responsible-for-0-05-of-climate-debt-and-0-10-of-fossil-co2-emissions-2016/panama-co2-emissions/)

1. Carbon markets and incentives: To encourage private sector participation, the nation has investigated markets for carbon and given rewards for storing carbon and emission reduction efforts in agriculture.
2. Research and innovation: Investing in climate-resilient methods of agriculture have been prioritized in order to find and implement viable emission-reduction solutions.
3. Waste management: Panama is working to improve agricultural waste management methods, lowering emissions of methane from organic waste degradation (Ryder & Calliari, 2021).
4. Climate change education and training: The government is focusing on education initiatives and training activities for farmers in order for them to adopt environmentally friendly methods and grasp the hazards associated with the effects of climate change.
5. International cooperation: Panama is entering into international collaborations and partnerships to obtain access to information, technology, and financial assistance to boost agricultural emission reduction initiatives.

These efforts indicate Panama's dedication to mitigating climate change and strengthening its agriculture sector's sustainability. Constant regulatory monitoring, review, and adaptation will be critical in developing the country's environmentally friendly and climate-resilient agricultural business.

Determine the climate changes felt by Panama country and the agricultural sector to date

Panama has seen various climatic variations and their effects on its agricultural industry. Some of the significant modifications are:

1. Rising temperatures: The mean temperatures in Panama have risen in recent years, influencing plant development patterns, availability of water, along with overall agricultural output. High temperatures have grown more frequent, threatening agricultural health and livestock welfare.
2. Changes in precipitation patterns: The country's distribution of rainfall has changed, with certain regions seeing more heavy rainfall and others maintaining lengthy dry spells (Hernwal, Balasubramanian, & Aravindakshan, 2023). These changes in weather patterns have thrown out the growing and harvesting seasons which causing water stress throughout agriculture.

Figure 2: Monthly climatology in Panama

(Source: https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/country/panama)

1. Increased frequency and severity of extreme weather events: Panama has experienced an increase in both the intensity and frequency of extreme weather conditions like hurricanes, storms, and floods. These occurrences cause considerable damage to agricultural products, infrastructure, as well as agricultural areas. So these types of things put food security along with livelihoods at risk.
2. Rising sea levels as well as coastal erosion: As an ocean-bound country, Panama is exposed to rising sea levels as well as coastal erosion, which harms low-lying agricultural fields, diminishing agricultural land along with the increasing saltwater invasion (Gosling, Ng'ang'a, & Gichuki, 2022).
3. Changes in disease and pest patterns: Changes in the climate has altered the distribution as well as the prevalence of pests and illnesses in agriculture. New pests and illnesses have evolved reducing food production and negatively impacting livestock health.

To address these issues, Panama's agricultural industry has implemented adaptation measures like environmentally friendly land management, climate-conscious agriculture, as well as renewable energy integration, among others. Persistent efforts and regular surveillance are required to successfully manage developing climate risks and maintain the agricultural sector's durability and resilience in the context of climate change.

Justify key climate change risks to Panama country to the end of the future

Some relevant factors for the table might include temperature rise, precipitation variations, rising sea levels, and severe weather depending on the consequences felt currently in Panama's agricultural sector. These factors have important consequences for agriculture as well as are frequently used to estimate the dangers of climate change. Here is an example table showing the expected climate change in Panama by the finish of the century:

Table 1:Climate Parameter and Panama's Agriculture

(Source: Self-created)

Temperature rise is going to be the most major risk that has to be handled in Panama's agricultural industry depending on the table and the consequences felt at present. Temperature increases can cause heat stress in both livestock and crops, reducing output and threatening food security. To alleviate the effects of rising temperatures, targeted efforts on establishing climate-smart methods of agriculture, developing heat-resistant crop types, and better management of livestock are required (Quesada-Román & Campos-Durán, 2023). While other climate factors, such as precipitation variations as well as extreme weather events mainly pose hazards as well. So these type of things mainly used for tackling the rise in temperatures is critical since it has a direct impact on agricultural productivity and resilience. [Referred to appendix 1]

Develop a plan of adoption for addressing the climate risks and impacts

Adaptation plan for addressing the main climatic types of risks in the rise of sea level along with Coastal Erosion. So here mainly identifying the main type of risks which are mainly given below.

Sea-level rise as well as coastal erosion represent the greatest threat to Panama's agricultural economy. Panama is exposed to the effects of increasing sea levels as a coastline country, which can result in the entry of salt water into agricultural fields, coastal erosion, along with the loss of productive regions (Campello Torres et al. 2020). Coastal regions have already felt the consequences of sea-level rise, based on historical data and observable impacts, along with the anticipated rise of 0.5 to one meter by the finish of the century poses a significant danger to land used for agriculture as well as the production of food along the coast.

Impacts to date: Over the course of the past decade, coastal regions of Panama have experienced rising rates of erosion, contributing to a decrease of agricultural land and compromising farming families' livelihoods. Rising levels of the ocean have caused saltwater intrusion which reduces soil fertility and affects agricultural development. Due to rising salt in groundwater along with irrigation systems, coastal producers have also encountered issues in managing water supplies.

Projected change in climate: Panama will be facing a 0.5 to 1-meter rise in sea level by the finish of the century. This increase in sea levels will intensify coastal erosion, overflow low-lying agricultural regions, and enhance the salinization of the soil (Segura, van Zeijl?Rozema, & Martens, 2022). The effects of climate change will need immediate adaptation steps to ensure the sustainability of Panama's agricultural industry near the coast.

Adaptation Strategies: The adaptation strategy should prioritize actions to safeguard and regulate coastal agricultural areas to successfully handle the principal climate hazards of sea-level rise as well as coastal erosion. Here are three essential methods for tackling this problem:

1. Coastal Protection and Infrastructure: Investment in the construction and maintenance of coastal protection structures like sea walls, barriers, as well as embankments that safeguard agricultural fields from erosion as well as flooding. These structures assist in protecting crops and preserving agricultural land by acting as a barrier against increasing sea levels.
2. Mitigation of seawater Intrusion: Implement methods to reduce seawater intrusion into agricultural regions. This can involve the installation of saltwater flow barriers as well as check gates. So the use of alternate sources of water for water supply, and the adoption of salt-tolerant varieties of crops that can resist higher salinity levels.
3. Client resilient land use planning: Create and execute climate-resilient land utilization plans that consider expected sea-level rise (Gracia, Rodríguez, & Campos, 2020). This might entail moving susceptible agricultural operations away from high-risk locations and supporting sustainable land management methods that decrease erosion as well as soil degradation.

This section mainly demonstrates the inclusive and accountable type of adaptation plan for the agricultural sector of Panama.

Table 2: Adaptation Plan for Panama's Agriculture

(Source: Self-created)

References

Journal

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