Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
7.1 INTRODUCTION
Climate change is a crosscutting issue, affecting a multitude of sectors
and activities like agriculture, water, health, tourism, land use, ecosys-
tems management, disaster risk reduction, and gender, and requires cross-
sectoral approaches for adaptation. To sustain livelihoods, people use a
wide range of social, physical, natural, financial and human resources.
To analyze livelihoods-climate linkages, those resources most important
to livelihoods and short-term coping and longer-term adaptation must be
identified, keeping in mind that different group will rely on different re-
sources. It is widely recognized that there are differentiated impacts of
climate change and that the poor will be hit hardest (Allaby, 1989).
The horticulture is well acknowledged segment of agriculture, which
provide livelihood and contribute significantly in regional economies.
Fruits and vegetables are the best resource for overcoming micronutri-
ent deficiencies, enhancing livelihood, creating employment and market
opportunity (Shon et al., 2003). Most of horticultural crops prefer cooler
temperatures, thus productivity is lowest in the hot and humid tropical re-
gions. These crops are generally sensitive to environmental extremes, and
thus high temperatures and limited soil moisture are the major causes of
low yields in the tropics and will be further magnified by climate change
(Brklacich, et al., 1996).
7.2
STATUS OF HORTICULTURE IN ISLANDS
The geographical location of Islands (6°N to 14°N latitude on 92°E to
94°E longitudes) is bestowed with humid tropical climate. Climate of the
Islands is that of warm humid tropics with temperature ranging from 23.2
to 30.7°C, relative humidity from 80 to 90% and average rainfall of about
3,000 mm, during both monsoons from May to December (Saldanha,
1989). Forest covers 86% while only 6.1% is under agriculture. Its climat-
ic conditions favor cultivation of large number of tropical and sub tropical
horticultural crops (Singh et al., 2005). The creditability of horticultural
sector in Islands has been well established in improving factor productiv-
ity, employment opportunities, livelihoods and economic conditions of the
farmers and also ensuring nutritional security to the Islanders. The major
horticultural crops in islands are coconut, arecanut, vegetables, fruits, root
 
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