ສາທາລະນະລ ັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊ ົນລາວ

ອ ົງການສະຫະປະຊາຊາດເພື່ ອການພ ັດທະນາ

Lao People's Democratic Republic

United Nations Development Programme

Government of Lao People’s Democratic Republic Executing Entity/Implementing Partner: Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, MAF, Vientiane, Lao PDR Implementing Entity/Responsible Partner: National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute, NAFRI

United Nations Development Programme Selected agriculture concepts, approaches, commodities for development of CLIMATE CHANGE TRAINING AND ADAPTATION MODULES FOR LAO PDR: 2. OVERVIEW OF ACTIONS FOR LOWLAND FARMING CONDITIONS Improving the Resilience of the Agriculture Sector in Lao PDR to Climate Change Impacts (IRAS Lao Project)

Project Contact : Mr. Khamphone Mounlamai, Project Manager Email Address : [email protected]

June 30, 2012 i

CLIMATE CHANGE TRAINING AND ADAPTATION MODULE FOR OVERVIEW OF ACTIONS FOR LOWLAND FARMING CONDITIONS

SUMMARY The MAF in collaboration with the UNDP and other Government of Lao (GoL) and Nongovernment Organisation (NGO) partners, has prepared five (5) modules or guides for extension officers/workers who will be involved in promoting good practices and technologies for climate change adaptation in the agriculture sector. Entitled the “Climate Change Training and Adaptation Module” or CCTAMs, these guides are part of the target outputs of the MAF – NAFRI project entitled “Improving Resilience in Agriculture Sector to Climate Change” or IRAS Project. The CCTAMs being developed are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Overview of Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) for Upland farming conditions Overview of CCA for Lowland Farming Conditions CCA through On-farm and Community Level Water Management; CCA in Crop Production; CCA in Small Livestock

The CCTAMs discusses the challenges posed by the combined effects of land degradation due to inappropriate land use practices and the effects of climate change. They then provide an overview of the range of practices and technologies that may be considered to adapt to climate change, at the same time addressing the issues of natural resource degradation. This is the second of the 5 CCTAMS entitled “OVERVIEW OF CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION FOR LOWLAND FARMING CONDITIONS”. This guide provides a brief overview of lowland farming conditions; the emerging effects of climate change; and the broad categories of practices that can be implemented to address the challenges. This provides the perspective for using CCTAM 3, 4 and 5 under lowland farming conditions. Stakeholder consultations at the provincial and national levels identified the key issues as a result of the combined effects of natural resources degradation, inappropriate agricultural land use practices and climate change. Subsequent consultations identified possible measures that can be applied. In identifying the priority interventions or lowland farming conditions the following key features in lowland farming were considered: 

Biodiversity under threat. Lowland farms particularly the more pervasive lowland rainfed rice farms, do not have the diversity of land forms nor proximity to forest compared to upland farms. Also increasing applications of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides tend to threaten the variety of flora and fauna both above and below ground. This makes the system vulnerable to pest and disease as well as weather related stresses.



Low soil fertility. High rainfall in the tropics generally leads to excessive drainage of nutrients (leaching) making many vital nutrients becomes unavailable to plants. To ii

CLIMATE CHANGE TRAINING AND ADAPTATION MODULE FOR OVERVIEW OF ACTIONS FOR LOWLAND FARMING CONDITIONS

exacerbate the situation, the predominantly highly weathered and sandy soils particularly in the central and southern region mean that soils are not very fertile and cannot conserve the rainwater in the wet season to support longer cropping periods. 

Water availability, floods and water quality. Farmers face the challenge of too much water during parts of the wet season; dry spells in parts of the wet season, early dry seasons or longer dry seasons. Irrigation is needed but many irrigation facilities are not performing well. The incidence of floods is increasing. Also, farmers are increasingly tapping groundwater, using pumps. There is an increasing concern on due to the increased use and improper disposal of pesticides either by big plantations or small farms. It is also feared that too much pumping up of groundwater could trigger the incidence of arsenic in the water.



Vulnerability to animal disease outbreaks and animal – human contamination. For villages in peri- urban areas, there is tendency to practice higher stocking density of livestock populations. When combined with erratic weather conditions and lack of farm sanitation, animals are very prone to disease and mortality. There is also the threat of humans getting contaminated with animal disease.

There are various technical strategies that have been proposed to increase adaptive capacity of farms to climate change. This would range from adjusting the use of climate smart varieties, adjusting the planting time, crop diversification, constructing water ponds, farm sanitation etc. In the case of Lao lowland agricultural landscapes, it is important that in addition to the aforementioned measure that would bring immediate alleviation, farming communities would also need to invest time and effort to arrest the further decline of the resource base (local remnant forests, biodiversity, soils, and water resources) and in fact apply measures to regenerate them. This guide consists of three parts.  



Part 1 discusses some key practical concepts that need to be appreciated when addressing climate change in agriculture particularly under lowland farming conditions. Part 2 discusses the range of strategies that may be considered and tested in specific lowland locations. Part 2 is supported by subsequent extension guides (CCTAMs #3, #4 and #5). Part 3 discusses specific steps on how the local extension team, in collaboration with other local service providers, can guide farming communities to understand and act on their current situation as affected by climate change. This involves the use of participatory planning tools, adapted from successful experience elsewhere. These tools can help communities identify priority issues important to them, and pinpoint priority actions that they would like to do, based on recommendations from the extension team.

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CLIMATE CHANGE TRAINING AND ADAPTATION MODULE FOR OVERVIEW OF ACTIONS FOR LOWLAND FARMING CONDITIONS

List of Acronyms

AKP

Adaptation Knowledge Platform

CC

Climate Change

CCA

Climate Change Adaptation

CCTAM

Climate Change Training and Adaptation Module

DAFO

District Agriculture and Forestry Office

DRM

Disaster Risk Management

FAO

Food and Agriculture Organization

FFS

Farmer Field School

GEF

Global Environment Facility

GoL

Government of Lao

IAPAD

Participatory Avenues

IFAD

International Fund for Agricultural Development

IFRC

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

IPCC

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

IRAS

Improving the Resilience of the Agriculture Sector in Lao PDR to Climate Change Impacts

IUCN

International Union for Conservation of Nature

IWMI

International Water Management Institute

LRFT

Local Research and Facilitation Team

MAF

Ministry of Agriculture

NAPA

National Adaptation Programme of Action

NAFRI

National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute

NGO

Non-government Organisation

NTFPs

Non-Timber Forest Products

OXFAM

Oxfam International

PAFO

Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Office

SDC

Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation

TOT

Training of Trainers

UNDP

United Nations Development Programme

UNFCC

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

WREA

Water Resources and Environment Administration

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CLIMATE CHANGE TRAINING AND ADAPTATION MODULE FOR OVERVIEW OF ACTIONS FOR LOWLAND FARMING CONDITIONS

Table of Contents

SUMMARY

ii

List of Acronyms

iv

List of Figures

vii

List of Box/es

vii

BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION

1

1.0 WHAT NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED IN PLANNING CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION IN LOWLAND FARMING CONDITIONS?

5

1.1 What are the natural features of lowland farms and land use practices that predispose them to low productivity?

5

1.2Two vital sets of actions are needed.

7

2.0 OVERVIEW OF VARIOUS STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE LOWLANDS 2.1 On-farm and community level water management

8 9

2.1.1 Lowland context

9

2.1.2 Basic strategies

9

2.2. Adaptation measures in crop production

10

2.2.1 Lowland context

10

2.2.2 Basic strategies

11

2.3 Small livestock production

11

2.3.1 Lowland context

11

2.3.2 Basic strategies

12

3.0 ENABLING THE COMMUNITY TO ACT ON THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

14

3.1 Step 1: Help the community identify and prioritize the hazards and changing climate conditions that affect them

14

3.2 Step 2: Build community awareness on successful good practices and technologies that may address the priority needs defined by the community

18

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CLIMATE CHANGE TRAINING AND ADAPTATION MODULE FOR OVERVIEW OF ACTIONS FOR LOWLAND FARMING CONDITIONS

3.3 Step 3: Facilitate decision making on what type of strategies the community would want to try out as a community or thorough individual work.

18

3.4Step 4: Facilitate the implementation of priority actions in demonstration farms or demonstration areas

18

3.5 Step 5: Facilitate monitoring, reflection, and follow on planning

19

CONCLUSION

20

Key References

21

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CLIMATE CHANGE TRAINING AND ADAPTATION MODULE FOR OVERVIEW OF ACTIONS FOR LOWLAND FARMING CONDITIONS

List of Figures

Figure 1. Threats to biodiversity. ................................................................................................ 6 Figure 2. Natural limitations........................................................................................................ 6 Figure 3. Three examples of interventions.. ............................................................................... 8 Figure 4. Protecting the groundwater supply.. ...........................................................................10 Figure 5. Examples of a community resource map. ...................................................................15 Figure 6. Example of a livelihood calendar. ...............................................................................15 Figure 7. Example of a community hazard map. .......................................................................16 Figure 8. Example of monthly calendar showing changing climatic conditions. .........................16 Figure 9. Example of a chart on effects of hazards and climate change. ...................................17 Figure 10. Example of a Prioritization Chart. .............................................................................17

List of Box/es

Box 1. Protecting farm biodiversity as contribution to more effective pest management ............ 13

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CLIMATE CHANGE TRAINING AND ADAPTATION MODULE FOR OVERVIEW OF ACTIONS FOR LOWLAND FARMING CONDITIONS

BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION The need for Climate Change Adaptation The Ministry of Agriculture (MAF), in collaboration with the UNDP, is presently implementing the Project entitled “Improving the Resilience of the Agriculture Sector in Lao PDR to Climate Change Impacts” or the IRAS Project. This project addresses the need to adapt to climate change in the agriculture sector. The IRAS project document states that “the current and future climate-related risks to Lao PDR and key areas of vulnerability have been analyzed in the country’s First National Communication (STEA, October 2000) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the National Adaptation Programme of Action (WREA, April 2009). According to the updated Koeppen-Geiger classification from 2006, as cited by the IRAS Project document, there will be more rainfall events in the centre and the north of the country during the first half of the century and an expansion of climatic conditions at present prevailing in the south, these slightly shrinking again in the second half of the century. These expected changes will require resilience and early gained adaptive capacity of the agricultural sector and the farmers to cope with the situation. Seen as a function of exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity, Lao PDR ranks as one of the most vulnerable countries in South East Asia. Climate change is expected to change the frequency, intensity and location of existing climate hazards and challenge the existing coping mechanisms of the population; especially those living in rural and remote places. (IRAS Project Document, 2010) The IRAS Project The objective of the IRAS Project is to minimize food insecurity resulting from climate change in Lao PDR and to reduce the vulnerability of farmers to extreme flooding and drought events. There are four expected outcomes:  

 

Outcome 1: Knowledge base on Climate Change impacts in Lao PDR on agricultural production, food security and vulnerability, and local coping mechanisms strengthened; Outcome 2: Capacities of sectoral planners and agricultural producers strengthened to understand and address climate change – related risks and opportunities for local food production and socio-economic conditions Outcome 3: Community-based adaptive agricultural practices and off-farm opportunities demonstrated and promoted within suitable agro-ecological systems Outcome 4: Adaptation Monitoring and Learning as a long-term process

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CLIMATE CHANGE TRAINING AND ADAPTATION MODULE FOR OVERVIEW OF ACTIONS FOR LOWLAND FARMING CONDITIONS

The Climate Change Training and Adaptation Modules or CCTAMs Under the IRAS project, the MAF in collaboration with the UNDP and other Government of Lao (GoL) and Non-government Organisation (NGO) partners, is now preparing six (6) guides for extension officers/workers who will be involved in promoting good practices and technologies for climate change adaptation in the agriculture sector. Entitled the “Climate Change Training and Adaptation Module” or CCTAMs, these guides are part of the target outputs of the MAF – NAFRI project entitled “Improving Resilience in Agriculture Sector to Climate Change” or IRAS Project. The CCTAMs are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Overview of Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) for Upland Farming Conditions ; Overview of CCA in Lowland Farming Conditions ; CCA through On-farm and Community Level Water Management; CCA in Crop Production; CCA in Small Livestock;

Objectives of the CCTAMs a. Provide an overview of the challenges posed by the combined effects of land degradation due to inappropriate land use practices and the effects of climate change; b. Provide an overview of the range of practices and technologies that may be considered to adapt to climate change, at the same time addressing the issues of natural resource degradation; and c. Serve as a quick reference to existing relevant extension materials and making the latter available to the extension officers/workers. How were the CCTAMs prepared? Stakeholder consultations at the provincial and national levels identified the key issues as a result of the combined effects of natural resources degradation, inappropriate agricultural land use practices and climate change. Subsequent consultations identified possible measures that can be applied. The CCTAM assembles the key knowledge from communities and researchers in the areas of natural resource management, sustainable agriculture and recent dialogue on climate change adaptation. How will the CCTAMs be used? The first step is to determine the location-specific needs of farming communities. PAFO and DAFO personnel may use CCTAM #1 on Upland Farming conditions and the CCTAM #2 on Lowland Farming conditions to obtain an overview of the upland and lowland situation as well as problems associated with drought and flood conditions. The PAFO and DAFO, together with local authorities and local partners, can use Part 3 of the CCTAMs #1 (Upland Farming) and #2 (Lowland Farming) to facilitate a simple community 2

CLIMATE CHANGE TRAINING AND ADAPTATION MODULE FOR OVERVIEW OF ACTIONS FOR LOWLAND FARMING CONDITIONS

based action planning process for adaptation to climate change. Part 3 provides several participatory planning tools. The output will be priority issues and actions. Based on the priorities set by farming communities, Extension Officers in consultation with local authorities, will identify priority actions from among the options cited in the CCTAMs. Based on the agreement with communities, the selected options will then be tested and demonstrated on the ground. Results from several seasons of observation will be documented, analyzed and discussed; and used to revise the CCTAMs and/or develop more detailed local guides.

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CLIMATE CHANGE TRAINING AND ADAPTATION MODULE FOR OVERVIEW OF ACTIONS FOR LOWLAND FARMING CONDITIONS

SELECTED AGRICULTURE CONCEPTS, APPROACHES, COMMODITIES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OFCLIMATE CHANGE TRAINING AND ADAPTATION MODULES FOR LAO PDR # 2: OVERVIEW OF ACTIONS FOR LOWLAND FARMING CONDITIONS This is the second of the 5 CCTAMS entitled “OVERVIEW OF CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION FOR LOWLAND FARMING CONDITIONS”. This guide provides a brief description of lowland farming conditions; the emerging effects of climate change; and what can be done about it. It is generally anticipated that climate change will affect farm productivity through an increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration, rise in temperature, increase or decrease in rainfall and the availability of water, and extreme events such as floods and droughts. Together they have direct effects on crop and animal growth and development. The traditional intensity of drought situations in the central and southern lowlands will worsen while in some districts flood situations is observed to increase in frequency. While the rise in carbon dioxide concentration will enhance crop growth and development slightly improving crop productivity, the temperature rise associated with the increase in CO2 concentration will reduce or if not neutralize this advantage, thereby resulting in reduced yields. Increased temperature influences effectively all process in crop production and will reduce yield. The same temperature increase affects livestock performance in terms of feed uptake, and higher vulnerability to disease. This guide consists of three parts. Part 1 discusses some key practical concepts that need to be appreciated when addressing climate change in agriculture particularly under lowland farming conditions. Part 2 discusses the range of strategies that may be considered and tested in specific lowland locations. Part 2 is supported by subsequent extension guides (CCTAMs #3, #4 and #5). Part 3 discusses specific steps on how the local extension team, in collaboration with other local service providers, can guide farming communities to understand and act on their current situation as affected by climate change. This involves the use of participatory planning tools, adapted from successful experience elsewhere. These tools can help communities identify priority issues important to them, and pinpoint priority actions that they would like to do, based on recommendations from the extension team.

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CLIMATE CHANGE TRAINING AND ADAPTATION MODULE FOR OVERVIEW OF ACTIONS FOR LOWLAND FARMING CONDITIONS

1.0 WHAT NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED IN PLANNING CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION IN LOWLAND FARMING CONDITIONS? 1.1 What are the natural features of lowland farms and land use practices that predispose them to low productivity?

The following are some key relevant features of lowland rainfed farming in the country: 

Biodiversity under threat. Lowland farms particularly the more pervasive lowland rainfed rice farms, do not have the diversity of land forms nor proximity to forest compared to upland farms. Alternatively, proximity to wetlands and aquatic conditions try to make up for this gap. However, land use changes in many areas have reduced the size of wetland areas in the landscape. Also increasing applications of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides tend to threaten the variety of flora and fauna both above and below ground. This makes the system vulnerable to pest and disease as well as weather related stresses.



Low soil fertility. It is a given that high rainfall in the tropics generally leads to excessive drainage of nutrients (leaching) making many vital nutrients become unavailable to plants. To exacerbate the situation, the predominantly highly weathered and sandy soils particularly in the central and southern region mean that soils are not very fertile and cannot conserve the rainwater in the wet season to support longer cropping periods. Lowland farms do not have the benefit of long fallow periods to restore soil fertility (as in the uplands). They are dependent on the short dry season fallows for soil fertility restoration.



Water availability and water quality. Farmers face the challenge of too much water during parts of the wet season; dry spells in parts of the wet season, early dry seasons or longer dry seasons. Irrigation is needed but many irrigation facilities are not performing well. Farmers are increasingly tapping groundwater, using pumps. Aside from the issue of water availability, water quality is an increasing concern due to the increased use and improper disposal of pesticides either by big plantations or small farms. It is also feared that too much pumping up of groundwater could trigger the incidence of arsenic in the water.



Vulnerability to animal disease outbreaks and animal – human contamination. For villages in peri- urban areas, there is tendency to practice higher stocking density of livestock populations. When combined with erratic weather conditions and lack of farm

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CLIMATE CHANGE TRAINING AND ADAPTATION MODULE FOR OVERVIEW OF ACTIONS FOR LOWLAND FARMING CONDITIONS

sanitation, animals are very prone to disease and mortality. There is also the threat of humans getting contaminated with animal disease.

Figure 1. Threats to biodiversity. The aquatic environment of lowland paddy rice and its connection to canals and wetlands would normally support high biodiversity in lowland landscapes. But the increasing use of agricultural chemicals and conversion of wetlands among others are threatening this biodiversity. Because of these, farms are now highly vulnerable to shocks caused by pest outbreaks and long drought periods, which will worsen under erratic climate conditions. (Source: left photo from IUCN & NAFRI ,undated).

Figure 2. Natural limitations. Highly weathered, sandy soils in the lowland areas of central and southern regions do not hold much water. Lack of organic matter content prevents optimum use of plant nutrients provided by fertilizers. There is also rapid increase of groundwater use leading to concerns about arsenic pollution.

.

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CLIMATE CHANGE TRAINING AND ADAPTATION MODULE FOR OVERVIEW OF ACTIONS FOR LOWLAND FARMING CONDITIONS

1.2Two vital sets of actions are needed.

There are various technical strategies that have been proposed to increase adaptive capacity of farms to climate change. This would range from adjusting the use of climate smart varieties, adjusting the planting time, crop diversification, constructing water ponds, farm sanitation etc. In the case of Lao lowland agricultural landscapes, it is important that in addition to the aforementioned measure that would bring immediate alleviation, farming communities would also need to invest time and effort to arrest the further decline of the resource base (local remnant forests, biodiversity, soils, and water resources) and in fact apply measures to regenerate them. Such measures may include minimal and safety use and disposal of agriculture chemicals to protect the habitats for agrobiodiversity, soil fertility enhancement through enhanced role for organic matter and initiating the management and regulation of use of ground water. One set of actions is not complete without the other. For instance, immediate action, say in the form of improved, drought tolerant varieties is not sustainable if the soils continue to have low organic matter and therefore lo soil fertility. On the other hand, solely working on restorative actions such as biodiversity enhancement would be insensitive to the immediate food and cash needs of the upland farm household.

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CLIMATE CHANGE TRAINING AND ADAPTATION MODULE FOR OVERVIEW OF ACTIONS FOR LOWLAND FARMING CONDITIONS

2.0 OVERVIEW OF VARIOUS STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE LOWLANDS Part 2 provides an overview of the various good practices and technologies for reducing vulnerability and increasing resilience to climate change that individual lowland farmers and communities can do. This is essentially a long list of recommendations. Local extension teams will need to determine which of the recommendations will be applicable in the locality, based on a participatory appraisal of the situation, together with target communities. The overview topics below represent particular themes in CCA in agriculture. We start with the action needed for water and soil because these are the fundamental “platforms” upon which food production is based. These are then followed by the topics that represent components of farming systems such as crop production (annual and perennial) and livestock integration into the farming systems. Under each topic, a quick overview of the upland context is first provided. This is immediately followed by a short summary of recommended sets of technical strategies. More details are provided in separate CCTAMs with the same titles.

Figure 3. Three examples of interventions. The first is water management - example is increasing water use efficiency and initiating the management of groundwater resources. Second is biodiversity enhancement, In addition to crop diversification, the minimal and very safe of use of chemicals though IPM would be vital to protect biodiversity. Third, soil fertility measures need to help soils better supports the nutrients needs of plants.

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CLIMATE CHANGE TRAINING AND ADAPTATION MODULE FOR OVERVIEW OF ACTIONS FOR LOWLAND FARMING CONDITIONS

2.1 On-farm and community level water management 2.1.1 Lowland context

As most farms are rainfed, and given the recent erratic behavior of rainfall, insufficiency of water and the need to store it, is a fundamental concern. Water needs to be stored so that it can support longer farm operations. The three basic ways to do these are storing surface water; recharging ground water; and increasing soil water holding capacity: 

Conserving surface water may be done on a large scale (reservoir), medium scale (village ponds) or at micro scale (farm ponds), village ponds and farm ponds provide immediate sources of water but they usually do not last during the dry months.



Ensuring sustained availability and safety of water from underground aquifers or groundwater represents a second conservation method.



A third source of water is soil moisture. Improving soil water holding capacity is essential. If the soil has sufficient moisture after the first crop or rice, this condition may enable the farmer to plant one more crop, usually an upland crop that has high tolerance to moisture stress.

2.1.2 Basic strategies The adaptation measures are discussed in CCTAM # 3 entitled “On- farm and Community Level Water Management” and are summarized into the following types: 







Managing surface runoff in the farm. Even in gentle to rolling slopes, soil must be conserved. The key actions that can be done include: contour plowing; and application of low cost erosion control methods as the Natural Vegetative Strips or NVS. Construction of farm ponds and water harvesting tanks. This involves improving the design and management of ponds in order to reduce the rate of evaporation or seepage so that the water can last longer to support a longer cropping period. Construction of rainwater harvesting tanks is also promoted in households using the GI or tile roof as catchment. Improving soil water holding capacity. Improve soil moisture by increasing the organic matter in the soil. The actions include: mulching; green manuring with leguminous cover crops especially with food value; and minimum tillage and zerotillage. Dealing with flooded situations. Introduce measures to deal with extended we periods. Improvise ways to continue some level of cropping even during flooded conditions.

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CLIMATE CHANGE TRAINING AND ADAPTATION MODULE FOR OVERVIEW OF ACTIONS FOR LOWLAND FARMING CONDITIONS



Protecting the community natural water supply system. At the landscape level, protect the forest cover in critical zones of the community watershed. Recharge groundwater resources by protecting wetlands, constructing percolation dams, etc.

Figure 4. Protecting the groundwater supply. With the increasing popularity of tapping groundwater resources for irrigation, there is also increasing concern on excessive extraction in the near future which can bring problems such as salinity and arsenic (left). To address this, there is a need to understand the characteristics of the groundwater resources in the community. Practical actions include wetland areas conservation, soil and water conservation, construction of check dams among others (right). These will have to be a collaborative task between the community, Local Authority, the DRM office and other technical line agencies specially the MONRE Water Resources Department.

2.2. Adaptation measures in crop production 2.2.1 Lowland context

The key challenge is how to provide immediate alleviation from the destructive effects of climate change but at the same time ensure that the positive improvements can be sustained in the long run. For instance interventions such as farm ponds, climate smart varieties and crop diversification can bring immediate positive improvements. To sustain the positive effects of these interventions, there is a need to enhance soil fertility. For instance, better, healthier soils would enable the climate smart varieties to grow to their full genetic potential and in a sustained way. Merely using inorganic fertilizers to support the new varieties would provide short term gains. However, if used for a long time they, actually tend to acidify the soils. In the lowlands, there are only a few types of crops grown in wider areas. This exposes farms to higher pest and disease incidence and requires the increasing use of pesticides. However current pesticide use practices would tend to cause negative side effects. Such side effect includes the decline of farm biodiversity which in turn tends to worsen the pest situation and subsequently increased the cost of crop production. Thus there is a need to establish an alternative pest management approach. .

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CLIMATE CHANGE TRAINING AND ADAPTATION MODULE FOR OVERVIEW OF ACTIONS FOR LOWLAND FARMING CONDITIONS

2.2.2 Basic strategies The specific adaptations measures are discussed in CCTAM # 4 entitled “CCTAM in Crop Production” and are summarized into the following types:         

Soil fertility management: making the plants healthy to more effectively withstand moisture stress and pest and disease among others ; Innovative and nature based production systems: this involve low external input whole production systems such as the systems for rice intensification or SRI Use of climate smart varieties: using varieties that are drought resistant or tolerant to submerged conditions. Crop diversification: growing crops in addition to or as alternative to rice. These crops are usually more tolerant to either too little or too much water; Growing vegetables under harsh climatic conditions: vegetable growing both at backyard level and market level that are more resilient to harsh conditions; Growing fruit trees in the farm: using trees to help conserve soil, improve fertility improve the microclimate and generate income; Integrated pest management: preventing the pest situation from worsening due to climatic aberrations and protect the farmer from accidents; Post harvest handling: minimize further losses from already existing low production levels; Timing of planting production systems: an early advisory system to enable a change the time of planting of the major crop to adjust match the availability of rains.

2.3 Small livestock production 2.3.1 Lowland context

Lowland farmers generally also practice full or partial free range systems to address the nutritional needs of livestock where labor is limited and commercial feeds are unaffordable. However an increasing number among them are confining animals, partly due to declining land area for ranging and higher incidence of disturbance (damage) to crops. Confinement requires a commitment by the farmer family that animals are provided the same if not more volume of feeds as when the animals are on free range. In this situation, on farm forage production is important to supplement available commercial concentrates. Because lowland farms are nearer to each other compared to the uplands, preventive practices against disease outbreaks must be strictly observed. In peri-urban areas, the possibility of transfer of sickness from animal to man must not be taken for granted.

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CLIMATE CHANGE TRAINING AND ADAPTATION MODULE FOR OVERVIEW OF ACTIONS FOR LOWLAND FARMING CONDITIONS

2.3.2 Basic strategies

The key strategies are discussed in detail in CCTAM # 5 on Small Livestock Production and are summarized below. 







Improve livestock nutrition. To achieve their full growth potential and strengthen resistance to diseases, livestock will be fully penned and provided with quality grasses and legumes grown on farm; Improve animal health. Promote timely vaccination and preventive measures particularly among young animals; Preventive farm sanitation such as practicing quarantine for newly introduced stock must be strictly followed; Housing and water. These protect livestock especially young animals from extreme heat and wet conditions. This system also ensure that important livestock waste can be easily collected for farm use; Breeding management of native breeds. Support the preference for native breeds because of higher adaptability; but achieve their potential through proper selection and breeding management (e.g. avoid inbreeding, etc.).

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CLIMATE CHANGE TRAINING AND ADAPTATION MODULE FOR OVERVIEW OF ACTIONS FOR LOWLAND FARMING CONDITIONS

Box 1. Protecting farm biodiversity as contribution to more effective pest management.

Maintaining biodiversity in the lowland farm can lead to better pest management. This is because biodiversity can support the existence of beneficial insects, dragon flies, frogs and other life forms that prey on insects and other organisms that destroy crops. Maintaining the biodiversity also supports the action of pollinators that are particularly important to production of vegetables and fruits among others. NAFRI and IUCN (undated) have recommended simple steps to protect and enhance biodiversity in the different zones of the farm and agricultural landscape. The following is a quick summary: Farm Fields and Homesteads     

Rice fields need special mention because of their aquatic nature. Maintain small ponds within the field and ditches as habitat for aquatic organisms during water shortages. When possible, connect the rice fields to water networks to allow fish and other aquatic organisms’ access to the fields. Apply pesticides selectively in the field where the problems exist and not broadly across the entire field. Avoid herbicides in particular. Use a range of solutions such as companion planting, botanical pesticides etc. Use more of natural fertilizers. Inorganic fertilizers should be used as supplement only. Do not burn. Crop residues. Practice mulching. Maintain and enhance the diversity of species in the homestead. Maintain flowering plants.

Farm borders and trees  

.Farm margins are very important sources of biodiversity. Maintain these by planting different kinds of trees preferably who flower at different times of the year Never apply pesticides, particularly herbicides, in the field border areas. Do not burn. Leave natural weeds at the base of the trees

Ponds and Ditches     

Many smaller ponds are better than a few larger ponds. This is because the border of the pond is also important for biodiversity and smaller ponds have more area, percentage wise, devoted to borders. Keep water in the ponds the entire year. Do not let them dry out. Ensure ponds have lots of light penetrating the water. Dense trees and too much water hyacinth is generally not good for aquatic species. Never wash pesticide containers or pesticide application equipment in ponds. Do not throw garbage in ponds. Encourage a wide variety of plant species on the edge of the ditches, particularly flowering species.

Adapted from NARI IUCN et al (undated) Guide to Biodiversity in The FarmScapes of Lao PDR.

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CLIMATE CHANGE TRAINING AND ADAPTATION MODULE FOR OVERVIEW OF ACTIONS FOR LOWLAND FARMING CONDITIONS

3.0 ENABLING THE COMMUNITY TO ACT ON THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE In Part 1, we learned about the nature of climate change adaptation in upland farming conditions. In part 2, we obtained an overview of the wide range of strategies that may be considered for recommendation to the communities that we serve. In Part 3, we will learn about ways to enable the community to begin to understand and proactively plan for climate change adaptation. This would be in addition to the coping mechanisms they are already doing. Implementing the various steps under part 3 will require the knowledge we gained in part 2. CCA in agriculture would benefit much from community level consensus right at the start because it involves a combination of farm level and landscape level actions. Five steps are proposed to be incorporated in the current extension approach of the NAFES. 1. Help the community indentify and prioritize the hazards and changing climate conditions that affect them; 2. Build community awareness on the different successful strategies 3. Facilitate decision making on what type of strategies to try out as a community or thorough individual work; 4. Facilitate the implementation of priority actions through key farmers in demonstration areas; 5. Facilitate monitoring, reflection and follow- on planning. These steps have been partly based on the experience in other places working on community based disaster risk management. These steps may be done together with personnel of the District Government that deal with disaster risk management (DRM) concerns. A joint local research and facilitation team (LRFT) may be created to facilitate the first three steps of the five step process. Members of the team would include the local PAFO/DAFO extension team, personnel of the local DRM office, local authorities, and key farmer leaders. The 4th and 5th step may be facilitated solely by the local extension team itself. The following is a detailed description of the specific steps.

3.1 Step 1: Help the community indentify and prioritize the hazards and changing climate conditions that affect them (adapted from OXFAM, 2010). This step would require sufficient time for preparation both for the local extension team and the community. The local extension team would need to undertake preparatory work prior for the conduct of a series of community meetings. These would include obtaining the support of local authorities the local DRM office and village leaders to undergo the process, and reviewing available secondary materials. 14

CLIMATE CHANGE TRAINING AND ADAPTATION MODULE FOR OVERVIEW OF ACTIONS FOR LOWLAND FARMING CONDITIONS

The following are the specific sub- steps at the community level. Each sub step may require between 1 to 2 hours of small group discussions among community representatives ensuring that both gender is adequately represented. All the steps can be done in one day or one week depending on the preference of the community and facilitator. The following are the sub-steps that will be done by the community with the help of the facilitating team: a) Prepare a simple community resource map showing the various natural resources of the community Discuss the current situation of forests, soils and water resources, identifying trends in deforestation, soil erosion and water supply. List down results of the discussions on a flip chart and where possible reflect the key points on the community resource map.

Figure 5. Examples of a community resource map. It helps the community inventory and appreciate its diverse assets that need to be protected from degradation and climate change. (Source: left: IAPAD, 2009; right: FAO, 2011) b) Prepare a seasonal calendar to indicate the key livelihood activities of the community (farming, NTFP gathering, off-farm employment, etc.) (The seasonal calendar will help the community recall and appreciate the kind of livelihoods that are sensitive to hazards and changing climate conditions. Livelihood

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

Ma y

Jun

July

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

FARM Activities   NTFP harvesting activities    Others Figure 6. Example of a livelihood calendar. It helps the community inventory it diverse livelihood activities the time of year when could be vulnerable to sources of shocks such as floods, disease outbreaks, etc. 15

CLIMATE CHANGE TRAINING AND ADAPTATION MODULE FOR OVERVIEW OF ACTIONS FOR LOWLAND FARMING CONDITIONS

c) Prepare a simple community hazard map that would indicate the community’s resources and the various threats to these resources. These simple maps will help the community recall and appreciate the actual effects of natural hazards ad changing climate conditions.

. Figure 7. Example of a community hazard map. It indicates the various hazards and climatic aberrations that threaten communities natural resources. This can use the community resource map. (Source: left - IFRC, 2010; right - CARE, 2009)

d) Prepare a chart on changing climate pattern. This would indicate the community’s perception on the changes in rainfall pattern and this will indicate how the climate has changed through the years. The older members of the community will be important for this data.

Figure 8. Example of monthly calendar showing changing climatic conditions. It helps the community document the observations they make about changing climate patterns through the years. ( Source: OXFAM, 2010) e) Prepare a chart showing the various hazards and climate changes and how these particularly affected the community (what livelihood was affected, when, where; and who were

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CLIMATE CHANGE TRAINING AND ADAPTATION MODULE FOR OVERVIEW OF ACTIONS FOR LOWLAND FARMING CONDITIONS

affected?). Also indicate in this table the various coping measures undertaken by community members.

Figure 9. Example of a chart on effects of hazards and climate change. It provides a quick summary of hazards, and its effects on particular groups of people of the community (Source: OXFAM 2010) f) Prioritize the elements perceived to be at greatest risk due to hazards and climate change. This step may draw on the results of the item (e) above especially the 2nd column (who are most affected). In addition, the community will identify specific agricultural resources (e.g. seedlings, livestock, etc.) that are at greatest risk.

Figure 10. Example of a Prioritization Chart. This helps the community determine what or who is most affected by the different hazards and changes in climate patterns. It is also somewhat similar to the previous chart (Source: CARE, 2009) To know more about the specific processes for conducting the Step 3.1 (a) to (f) above, please refer to two highly recommended tool kits:  

OXFAM, 2010. Participatory Capacity and Vulnerability Analysis: A Practitioner Guide CARE, 2009. Climate Vulnerability and Capacity Analysis: A Handbook

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CLIMATE CHANGE TRAINING AND ADAPTATION MODULE FOR OVERVIEW OF ACTIONS FOR LOWLAND FARMING CONDITIONS

3.2 Step 2: Build community awareness on successful good practices and technologies that may address the priority needs defined by the community. Based on the priorities set by the community, the local extension team will review the CCTAMs and other reference materials and in consultation with resource persons, would prepare a short list of adaptation strategies to recommend for study by representatives of the community. This step will take between 3 to 8 weeks especially if it will involve a visit to other communities to learn from their experience. a. Use of existing information materials or the development of new ones that are more sensitive to local needs. b. Where resources allow, provide opportunity for the target community to visit and learn from other communities with promising CCA practice.

3.3 Step 3: Facilitate decision making on what type of strategies the community would want to try out as a community or thorough individual work. This will take at least two oneday sessions with the community leaders. Based on the results of item 3.1 (f) “priority hazards and climate change”, as well as the results of the exposure activities described in item 3.2 above, facilitate community decision on what practices it would prefer to implement in the short and long term. To the extent possible, identify priority practices and technologies in accordance to the two sets of actions identified earlier in this CCTAM. The first set would be immediate short term action such as varieties, timing of planting etc) that can bring immediate relief. The second set would the measures to protect and rehabilitate the resource base (forest, soils, and water resources) that ensure sustainability of adaptation actions. Under each set of actions there would be farm level or community level undertakings.

3.4 Step 4: Facilitate the implementation of priority actions in demonstration farms or demonstration areas. This will take at least one to two cropping seasons in the case of on farm level adaptation actions. Community actions on the other hand that deal with protection or rehabilitation of natural resources may take at least two to three years to start the process. Identify and work with interested farmer volunteers to implement specific practices at the farm level. Provide training of trainers (TOT) for volunteer farmers. Extension methods that are specific to commodities (crops, livestock etc) are discussed in the subsequent CCTAM. Various extension approaches may be adopted for promoting appropriate practices for adaptation to climate change. The Lao Extension approach involving village extension workers would be one. The farmer field school (FFS) may be used for specific practices where it has been tried such as the IPM for rice and vegetables.

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CLIMATE CHANGE TRAINING AND ADAPTATION MODULE FOR OVERVIEW OF ACTIONS FOR LOWLAND FARMING CONDITIONS

Extension approaches need to take into consideration the role of women in the success of agriculture and climate change adaptation for that matter. Extra effort is needed to reach out to them. For instance, during the planning processes that involve group discussions, separate groupings may be made for the women so that they would be confident to speak out. This makes sure that their voice is heard. Women facilitators or women extension workers would help. Many of the adaption practices require additional work on the farm. In most cases women are already performing many household and farm work. When introducing new practices, facilitators are advised to help families appreciate the need to distribute new tasks a way that it does not overburden the women folk Promoting livestock vaccination is a practice that needs a good extension approach because it is also dependent on the viability of vaccines when transported to remote upland areas. The methods for conducting this approach are described in the existing manuals for village animal veterinary workers. .

3.5 Step 5: Facilitate monitoring, reflection, and follow on planning. This will be parallel to the actual implementation of adaptation actions and may take between one to two cropping seasons or up to three years. During the process of identifying the practices and technologies that will be implemented in the community, there is a need to identify the indicators that the community would like to see as an indication of relative success. The local extension team may provide recommendations on what could be simple and locally relevant indicators e.g. (reduction in cost of production inputs, reduced time for preparing feeds, reduced mortality of young animals etc.). These success indicators would guide both the community and local extension team in monitoring progress and planning for next steps. Results of the monitoring would be presented to the community regularly (every quarter), as well as local authorities and other locally based agencies and NGOS.

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CLIMATE CHANGE TRAINING AND ADAPTATION MODULE FOR OVERVIEW OF ACTIONS FOR LOWLAND FARMING CONDITIONS

CONCLUSION This CCTAM provides an overview of the nature of CC adaptation measures in lowland farming conditions. This CCTAM is also complemented by other CCTAMs for specific themes relevant to lowland farming. These include water management (CCTAM #3), crops (CCTAM #4), and livestock (CCTAM # 5). It also provides the basic steps for enabling communities to start to proactively and systematically address climate change. At the moment, it can be said that climate change by itself is not the major cause of current low productivity in lowland farming. More realistically, it can be said that it exacerbates the effects of natural limitations (e.g. poor soil texture and fertility) and inappropriate land use practices (improper pesticide use, etc.). To be effective, adaptation measures must include measures that provide immediate relief to the farmer (e.g. use of varieties, timing of planting, etc.) and if possible it provides results in one cropping season. At the same time, it must also include measures that protect and restore the capacity of the resource base (remnant forests, soils, water resources, and biodiversity) to support agriculture. Decisions and actions for climate change adaptation are needed both at the farm level and at the community level.

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CLIMATE CHANGE TRAINING AND ADAPTATION MODULE FOR OVERVIEW OF ACTIONS FOR LOWLAND FARMING CONDITIONS

Key References

AKP (Adaptation Knowledge Platform). 2011. Practitioners and Policy-makers Exchange on Climate Change Adaptation Frequently Asked Questions. http://www.climateadapt.asia/upload/publications/files/4dac0ae421361AKPbook_agricultureFAQWEB.pdf CARE. 2009. Climate Vulnerability and Capacity Analysis: Handbook. http://www.careclimatechange.org/cvca/CARE_CVCAHandbook.pdf GEF (Global Environment Facility). 2010. Project Information. Mainstreaming Biodiversity in Lao PDR’s Agricultural and Land Management Policies, Plans and Programmes. FAO. 2007. Country Report on The State of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture in Lao PDR. http://www.fao.org/docrep/013/i1500e/Lao%20Peoples%20Democratic%20Republic.pdf FAO. 2010. Climate Smart Agriculture: Policies, Practices, and Financing for Food Security Adaptation and Mitigation. Rome Italy. http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/newsroom/docs/the-hague-conference-faopaper.pdf IFRC. 2011. VCA Toolbox. http://www.ifrc.org/Global/Publications/disasters/vca/vca-toolboxen.pdf IAPAD. 2009. Resource Mapping. http://www.iapad.org/resource_mapping.htm IPCC. 2001. Third Assessment Report. Review of Community Based Vulnerability Assessment Methods and Tools. Annex B. Glossaries. IRRI and NAFRI. ----. Best Management Practices for rainfed lowland rice in Lao PDR. Step by step to higher rice yields. Recommendations for rice farmers and extension officers. IWMI and SIda. 2010. Rethinking Agriculture in the Greater Mekong Subregion How to sustainably meet food needs, enhance ecosystem services and cope with climate change. http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/Publications/Other/PDF/SummaryRethinking_Agriculture_in_the_Greater_Mekong_Subregion.pdf FAO and MAF. 2006.Home Gardens: Key to Improved Nutritional Well-being. Report of “Promotion of home gardens for improved nutritional well-being” MAF and FAO. 2004. Symposium on Biodiversity for Food Security. NAFRI and IUCN Lao PDR.( undated) ---. Guide to Biodiversity In the Farmscapes of Lao PDR OXFAM. 2010. Oxfam Participatory Capacity & Vulnerability Analysis: A Practioner’s Guide

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CLIMATE CHANGE TRAINING AND ADAPTATION MODULE FOR OVERVIEW OF ACTIONS FOR LOWLAND FARMING CONDITIONS

Schiller, J.M, B. Linquist, K. Douangsila, P. Inthapanya, B. Douang Boupha, S. Inthavong and P. Sengxua. 2001. Constraints to Rice Production Systems in Laos Sengxua P. and L. Wade. Developing Improved Farming and marketing systems in rainfed regions of Lao PDR. http://www.slideshare.net/johick68/developing-improved-farmingand-marketing-systems-in-rainfed-regions-of-southern-lao-pdr-pheng-sengxua

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