Climate change adaptation for smallholder farmers in Southeast Asia

Climate change, defined as any change in the average daily weather pattern over an extended period of time (typically decades or longer) whether due to natural variability or as a result of human activity (Easterling et al. 2007, IPCC 2007a), is happening now, and is already affecting many natural systems around the world (IPCC 2007a). The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) declared in its Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) that climate change is unequivocal (IPCC 2007a), evidenced by observed changes in several global and regional clima ti c indicators. The Food and Agriculture Organiza ti on (FAO) expects that considerable e ff orts would be required to prepare developing countries to deal with climate-related impacts, par ti cularly in agriculture (FAO 2007). However, the IPCC also notes that recent studies show a high con fi dence that there are viable adapta ti on op ti ons that can be implemented at low cost and/or with high bene fi t-cost ra ti os (IPCC 2007a). At the country level, climate change refers to observable changes and permuta ti ons (unde fi ned geographic varia ti ons) of temperature, rainfall and extreme climate events and their single or collective impacts on various agricultural production and harvesting activities (Concepcion 2008). Increase in temperature would have whole year and day-to-day on-site impacts that accelerate the changes/decomposi ti on of soil organic ma tt er and loss of soil fer ti lity, which ul ti mately a ff ects the overall health of crops and livestock. Soil temperature and organic matter useful indices of ecosystem recovery a ft er disturbance of natural vegeta ti on (Aust and Lea 1991). The varying intensity and pa tt erns of rainfall and extreme climate events (typhoons and El Niño) during the remaining periods of rainy season would have expanded the coverage of climate change o ff -site impacts which include massive soil erosion and irreversible loss of sloping land soil fertility and life threatening floods and landslide (Concepcion 2008).

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