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Title: The Nanchang communication about the potential for the implementation of conservation practices for climate change mitigation and adaptation to achieve food security in the 21st century

Author
item Delgado, Jorge
item LI, RIU - Chinese Academy Of Sciences

Submitted to: International Soil and Water Conservation Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/3/2016
Publication Date: 5/26/2016
Citation: Delgado, J.A., Li, R. 2016. The Nanchang communication about the potential for the implementation of conservation practices for climate change mitigation and adaptation to achieve food security in the 21st century. International Soil and Water Conservation Research. 4:148-150. doi:10.1016/j.iswcr.2016.05.002.

Interpretive Summary: The Soil and Water Conservation Society has been a leader in developing publications that review the science of using conservation practices for climate change adaptation and mitigation. Recently the society invited a team of experts in soil and water conservation practices to review the science of climate change and best conservation practices. The scientific literature was revised by the team of scientist, and a feature paper about the topic was published in the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation (Delgado et al 2011). The Delgado et al.(2011) paper was used by the SWCS to develop a position statement on the potential use of conservation practices for climate change adaptation and mitigation. Additionally two PowerPoint slide presentations about the potential use of conservation practices for climate change adaptation and mitigation were prepared and released to its members and the general public (www.swcs.org/policy). The SWCS press release about the effects of a changing climate and the need for wide adaptation of conservation practices that contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation, and supportive information including a peer review research editorial about the use of management to mitigate an adapt to climate change were posted and are available to download at the SWCS website at www.swcs.org/policy. The World Association of Soil and Water Conservation (WASWAC) could potentially consider developing their own position statement on conservation practices and climate change mitigation and adaptation or perhaps joining the SWCS in their position statement or adopt the above principles to promote and encourage the use of conservation practices for climate change mitigation and adaptation and the survival of the human species.

Technical Abstract: Several recent peer reviewed manuscripts have reported on the great challenges humanity is confronting during the XXI century, including a changing climate, depletion of water resources from groundwater and/or snow caps sources that are needed for agricultural production, deforestation, desertification, conversion of productive land to urban developments, and the higher demand for food and fiber due to a larger global population that is projected to increase to 9.5 billion by the middle of the century (Delgado et al. 2011, 2013; Lal et al. 2011; Montgomery 2007). The great majority of worldwide agroecosystems will be under tremendous pressure to maintain and sustain agricultural productivity when confronted with these challenges that can negatively impact soil health, soil and water quality, soil fertility and productivity, and the potential to maintain and/or increase food security during this century. A changing climate is projected to increase extreme events such as the potential for extreme precipitation events increasing soil erosion that can reduce soil productivity. Another extreme projected is an increase of the intensity of droughts that will also increase the potential for wind erosion, and lower productivity and reduced yields (Delgado et al 2013; Lal et al. 2012; Nearing et al. 2004; SWCS 2003, 2007). Maintaining and increasing agricultural productivity of the world agroecosystems will be key to supply the greater production needed to feed an expected additional 2.5 billion by 2050. We will need to maintain soil and water quality and soil health in order to increase productivity and that could only be achieved with policies which promote the implementation of soil and water conservation practices that will contribute to climate change adaptation (Delgado et al 2011, Figure 1).