An assessment of the potential impact of climate change on rice farmers and markets in Bangladesh

Bangladesh, the sixth largest rice producer in the world, has been identified as high risk from the effects of climate change. Many of the adverse impacts of climate change such as land inundation and changes in weather patterns and CO₂ levels will impact the agricultural sector. This study develops a partial-equilibrium multi-regional farm household model of Bangladesh rice and non-rice agricultural markets to quantify the impacts of climate change on consumption, production, prices, and farmers’ welfare. The model is calibrated to the Bangladesh rice market using Household Income and Expenditure Survey data. The model is simulated to analyze the impact of land reduction and productivity decline resulting from climate change. The results show that the decline in production in the coastal and northern regions offsets the production increase in the central and eastern regions, and the simulation predicts that total rice production for Bangladesh falls by about 2%. As total rice consumption falls and imports rise, the net effect leads to a rise in the rice price by 5.71% and a decline in farmers’ welfare. Sensitivity analysis shows that more- (less-) effective abatement technology could play a key role in mitigating (exacerbating) the price and welfare effects. The model predicts that many farmers in regions directly impacted by climate change could leave farming in search of off-farm work. Thus, the government can ease this transition by promoting urban development to provide more job options and technical training for farmers.     

Impact of climate change on irrigation water demand of dry season Boro rice in northwest Bangladesh

Climate change will affect irrigation water demand of rice via changes in rice physiology and phenology, soil water balances, evapotranspiration and effective precipitation. As agriculture is the main sector of water use in Bangladesh, estimation of the agricultural water demand in the changing environment is essential for long-term water resources development and planning. In the present paper, a study has been carried out to estimate the change of irrigation water demand in dry-season Boro rice field in northwest Bangladesh in the context of global climate change. The study shows that there will be no appreciable changes in total irrigation water requirement due to climate change. However, there will be an increase in daily use of water for irrigation. As groundwater is the main source of irrigation in northwest Bangladesh, higher daily pumping rate in dry season may aggravate the situation of groundwater scarcity in the region.     

气候变暖对水稻生育期影响的情景分析

温度是影响作物发育速度的基本因子之一，温度的高低决定生育期的长短。利用全国水稻生态试验资料，分析了不同气候带的水稻生育期与温度的关系。结果指出，水稻生育期平均气温升高1℃，生育期日数平均缩短7.6日。温室效应使气温升高1～4℃，将导致我国各地水稻的一季稻和早稻生育期缩短；东部地区目前的生育期等日期线北移；东北地区北移1～5个纬度；黄淮地区北移3～6个纬度。通过调整种植季节，选用合适的水稻生态类型，以水调温措施，可以减少生育期缩短的日数。     

气候变暖对广西双季稻安全生产期的影响

利用1960—2019年广西88个国家气象观测站逐日气温资料,将研究时段分成前30年（P1：1960—1989年）和后30年（P2：1990—2019年）2个阶段,分析早稻安全播种期和安全移栽期、晚稻安全齐穗期和安全成熟期的年际变化规律,并通过比较P1和P2阶段不同保证率下各安全生产期的差异,分析气候变暖背景下广西双季稻安全生产期的变化特征。结果表明：①早稻安全播种期和安全移栽期主要表现为提前变化趋势,晚稻安全齐穗期和安全成熟期主要表现为推迟变化趋势,全区80%和90%保证率安全播种期和安全移栽期平均提前2 d,80%和90%保证率安全齐穗期平均推迟2 d,80%和90%保证率安全成熟期平均推迟5 d和6 d。②安全生产期的变化特征空间差异性较大,桂东北安全播种期和安全移栽期提前天数最多,达6 d以上,百色那坡、靖西地区安全齐穗期推迟天数最多,达6 d以上,全区大部分地区安全成熟期推迟天数在6～10 d,空间差异相对较小。     

不同稻麦种植模式适应气候变化的效益比较分析

通过调查江苏省全球环境基金项目区农户和专家的投入产出,使用成本效益分析方法和IPCC推荐的温室气体估算方法评估比较了3种种植方式（人工插秧、机械插秧和直播）的水稻在麦稻轮作复种“两晚”模式（水稻晚收, 小麦晚播）下的社会、经济和生态效益。结果表明：水稻直播和机械插秧可以节省更多劳动力;农业机械燃油、施用化肥、稻田淹水等农作措施导致了大量人为温室气体排放;水稻种植方式为人工插秧的麦稻轮作模式能取得最优的经济和生态效益;“两晚”模式实施的关键是适时地利用近年来增加的农业气候资源。水稻人工插秧与麦稻“两晚”相配合的种植模式是减缓和适应气候变化的较优选择。     

Intense tropical cyclogenesis over the northwest Australian region in 1998/1999: Causal factors

Summary The 1998/99 tropical cyclone (TC) season over northwest Australia was notable for an above average number of TCs (seven compared to five on average) and a number of unusually intense TCs making landfall (three category 5 TCs). The active 1998/99 TC season is attributed here to a combination of a number of broad-scale features over the south east Indian Ocean and the Australian region, with identifiable precursors favoring tropical cyclogenesis. These precursors include: below normal MSLP, abnormally warm ocean temperatures, above average relative humidity in the low- to mid-tropospheric levels and weak wind shears in the genesis region under study, that is, between 10° S to 20° S and 105° E to 135° E. These favorable conditions first appeared as early as August 1998. The appearance of favorable conditions so far ahead of the TC season indicates that they are the likely cause of the enhanced TC activity rather than simply an effect. Although the season as a whole was an active one, strong intra-seasonal variability was evident in that there were two named TCs in December 1998, forming within three days of each other. Only one formed in January 1999 and none in February. By contrast, in March and April 1999, TC activity was enhanced once again, with four named TCs, three of which attained category 5 status. The importance of the above-mentioned precursors in favoring tropical cyclogenesis during the 1998/99 season is discussed in terms of seasonal time scales of the preceding spring and down to synoptic and mesoscale time scales ranging from several days to 48 hours or less. Received October 5, 2001 Revised December 28, 2001     

Adaptation to climate change through the choice of cropping system and sowing date in sub-Saharan Africa

Multiple cropping systems provide more harvest security for farmers, allow for crop intensification and furthermore influence ground cover, soil erosion, albedo, soil chemical properties, pest infestation and the carbon sequestration potential. We identify the traditional sequential cropping systems in ten sub-Saharan African countries from a survey dataset of more than 8600 households. We find that at least one sequential cropping system is traditionally used in 35% of all administrative units in the dataset, mainly including maize or groundnuts. We compare six different management scenarios and test their susceptibility as adaptation measure to climate change using the dynamic global vegetation model for managed land LPJmL. Aggregated mean crop yields in sub-Saharan Africa decrease by 6–24% due to climate change depending on the climate scenario and the management strategy. As an exception, some traditional sequential cropping systems in Kenya and South Africa gain by at least 25%. The crop yield decrease is typically weakest in sequential cropping systems and if farmers adapt the sowing date to changing climatic conditions. Crop calorific yields in single cropping systems only reach 40–55% of crop calorific yields obtained in sequential cropping systems at the end of the 21st century. The farmers’ choice of adequate crops, cropping systems and sowing dates can be an important adaptation strategy to climate change and these management options should be considered in climate change impact studies on agriculture.     

Understanding the causes and consequences of differential decision-making in adaptation research: Adapting to a delayed monsoon onset in Gujarat,India

Weather variability poses numerous risks to agricultural communities, yet farmers may be able to reduce some of these risks by adapting their cropping practices to better suit changes in weather. However, not all farmers respond to weather variability in the same way. To better identify the causes and consequences of this heterogeneous decision-making, we develop a framework that identifies (1) which socio-economic and biophysical factors are associated with heterogeneous cropping decisions in response to weather variability and (2) which cropping strategies are the most adaptive, considering economic outcomes (e.g., yields and profits). This framework aims to understand how, why, and how effectively farmers adapt to current weather variability; these findings, in turn, may contribute to a more mechanistic and predictive understanding of individual-level adaptation to future climate variability and change. To illustrate this framework, we assessed how 779 farmers responded to delayed monsoon onset in fifteen villages in Gujarat, India during the 2011 growing season, when the monsoon onset was delayed by three weeks. We found that farmers adopted a variety of strategies to cope with delayed monsoon onset, including increasing irrigation use, switching to more drought-tolerant crops, and/or delaying sowing. We found that farmers’ access to and choice of strategies varied with their assets, irrigation access, perceptions of weather, and risk aversion. Richer farmers with more irrigation access used high levels of irrigation, and this strategy was associated with the highest yields in our survey sample. Poorer farmers with less secure access to irrigation were more likely to push back planting dates or switch crop type, and economic data suggest that these strategies were beneficial for those who did not have secure access to irrigation. Interestingly, after controlling for assets and irrigation access, we found that cognitive factors, such as beliefs that the monsoon onset date had changed over the last 20 years or risk aversion, were associated with increased adaptation. Our framework illustrates the importance of considering the complexity and heterogeneity of individual decision-making when conducting climate impact assessments or when developing policies to enhance the adaptive capacity of local communities to future climate variability and change.     

Use of an upwelling-diffusion energy balance climate model to simulate and diagnose A/OGCM results

 We demonstrate that a hemispherically averaged upwelling-diffusion energy-balance climate model (UD/EBM) can emulate the surface air temperature change and sea-level rise due to thermal expansion, predicted by the HadCM2 coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation model, for various scenarios of anthropogenic radiative forcing over 1860–2100. A climate sensitivity of 2.6 °C is assumed, and a representation of the effect of sea-ice retreat on surface air temperature is required. In an extended experiment, with CO₂ concentration held constant at twice the control run value, the HadCM2 effective climate sensitivity is found to increase from about 2.0 °C at the beginning of the integration to 3.85 °C after 900 years. The sea-level rise by this time is almost 1.0 m and the rate of rise fairly steady, implying that the final equilibrium value (the `commitment') is large. The base UD/EBM can fit the 900-year simulation of surface temperature change and thermal expansion provided that the time-dependent climate sensitivity is specified, but the vertical profile of warming in the ocean is not well reproduced. The main discrepancy is the relatively large mid-depth warming in the HadCM2 ocean, that can be emulated by (1) diagnosing depth-dependent diffusivities that increase through time; (2) diagnosing depth-dependent diffusivities for a pure-diffusion (zero upwelling) model; or (3) diagnosing higher depth-dependent diffusivities that are applied to temperature perturbations only. The latter two models can be run to equilibrium, and with a climate sensitivity of 3.85 °C, they give sea-level rise commitments of 1.7 m and 1.3 m, respectively. Received: 27 April 1999 / Accepted: 13 September 2000     

The impacts of climate change on the winter hardiness zones of woody plants in Europe

The potential impacts of climate change on potatoes cropping in the Peruvian highlands (Altiplano) is assessed using climate projections for 2071–2100, obtained from the HadRM3P regional atmospheric model of the Hadley Centre. The atmospheric model is run under two different special report on emission scenarios: high CO₂ concentration (A2) and moderate CO₂ concentration (B2) for four locations situated in the surroundings of Lake Titicaca. The two main varieties of potato cultivated in the area are studied: the Andean potato (Solanum tuberosum) and the bitter potato (Solanum juzepczukii). A simple process-oriented model is used to quantify the climatic impacts on crops cycles and yields by combining the effects of temperature on phenology, of radiation and CO₂ on maximum yield and of water balance on yield deficit. In future climates, air temperature systematically increases, precipitation tends to increase at the beginning of the rainy season and slightly decreases during the rest of the season. The direct effects of these climatic changes are earlier planting dates, less planting failures and shorter crop cycles in all the four locations and for both scenarios. Consequently, the harvesting dates occur systematically earlier: roughly in January for the Andean potato instead of March in the current situation and in February for the bitter potato instead of April. Overall, yield deficits will be higher under climate change than in the current climate. There will be a strong negative impact on yields for S. tuberosum (stronger under A2 scenario than under B2); the impact on S. juzepczukii yields, however, appears to be relatively mixed and not so negative.     

Changes of Accumulated Temperature, Growing Season and Precipitation in the North China Plain from 1961 to 2009

Using the high-quality observed meteorological data, changes of the thermal conditions and precipitation over the North China Plain from 1961 to 2009 were examined. Trends of accumulated temperature and negative temperature, growing season duration, as well as seasonal and annual rainfalls at 48 stations were analyzed. The results show that the accumulated temperature increased significantly by 348.5℃ day due to global warming during 1961-2009 while the absolute accumulated negative temperature decreased apparently by 175.3℃ day. The start of growing season displayed a significant negative trend of -14.3 days during 1961- 2009, but the end of growing season delayed insignificantly by 6.7 days. As a result, the length of growing season increased by 21.0 days. The annual and autumn rainfalls decreased slightly while summer rainfall and summer rainy days decreased significantly. In contrast, spring rainfall increased slightly without significant trends. All the results indicate that the thermal conditions were improved to benefit the crop growth over the North China Plain during 1961-2009, and the decreasing annual and summer rainfalls had no direct negative impact on the crop growth. But the decreasing summer rainfall was likely to influence the water resources in North China, especially the underground water, reservoir water, as well as river runoff, which would have influenced the irrigation of agriculture.     

Probable effects of CO2-induced climatic warming on the thermal environment of ponded shallow water

A physical model was developed for describing the thermal environment of ponded shallow water as a model for rice fields in relation to climatic conditions. The model was used to assess probable effects of CO₂-induced warming on the thermal conditions of ponded shallow water. It was assumed that an altered equilibrium climate was produced by atmospheric CO₂ which was twice that of present levels. The 1951–80 climatic means of Japan were used as baseline data. Water temperature and energy balance characteristics predicted from the model were compared between both climates. The most notable results were that water temperature under CO₂ doubling rose 2 to 4 °C. These increases in temperature would induce a remarkable northward shift of the 15 °C isotherm which characterizes the isochrone of safe transplanting dates for rice seedlings. CO₂-warming would have a considerable influence on the energy balance characteristics, intensifying the evaporation rate from the water surface. Changes in thermal conditions of rice fields due to CO₂-induced climatic warming are, therefore, expected to bring about significant effects on aquatic environments and the life forms they support.     

Temperature and surface pressure anomalies in Israel and the North Atlantic Oscillation

Summary Teleconnections associated with changing patterns of temperature and pressure anomalies over Israel during the second half of the 20th century are investigated. Relatively high, statistically significant, correlation coefficients of −0.8 and +0.9 were found between the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) Index anomalies and smoothed (5 year running mean) cool season temperature and surface pressure anomalies in Israel, respectively. A relatively high positive correlation, (r = 0.8) was also found between the NAO Index anomalies and smoothed geopotential height of the 1000 hPa pressure level, during the cool season at Bet Dagan radiosonde station located on the Israel Mediterranean coastal plain. Correlation coefficients between NAO Index anomalies and the higher standard pressure levels, 850 and 700 hPa, decrease gradually and become negative (not statistically significant) for the 500 hPa level. Received January 25, 2000/Revised March 6, 2001     

Spatial distributions of heating, cooling, and industrial degree-days in Turkey

Summary The degree-day method is commonly used to estimate energy consumption for heating and cooling in residential, commercial and industrial buildings, as well as in greenhouses, livestock facilities, storage facilities and warehouses. This article presents monthly and yearly averages and spatial distributions of heating, cooling, and industrial degree-days at the base temperatures of 18 °C and 20 °C, 18 °C and 24 °C, and 7 °C and 13 °C, respectively; as well as the corresponding number of days in Turkey. The findings presented here will facilitate the estimation of heating and cooling energy consumption for any residential, commercial and industrial buildings in Turkey, for any period of time (monthly, seasonal, etc.). From this analysis it will also be possible to compare and design alternative building systems in terms of energy efficiencies. If one prefers to use set point temperatures to indicate the resumption of the heating season would also be possible using the provided information in this article. In addition, utility companies and manufacturing/marketing companies of HVAC systems would be able to easily determine the demand, marketing strategies and policies based on the findings in this study.     

Temperature and snow-melt controls on interannual variability in carbon exchange in the high Arctic

Summary Net Ecosystem CO₂ Exchange (NEE) was studied during the summer season (June–August) at a high Arctic heath ecosystem for 5 years in Zackenberg, NE Greenland. Integrated over the 80 day summer season, the heath is presently a sink ranging from −1.4 g C m⁻² in 1997 to −23.3 g C m⁻² in 2003. The results indicate that photosynthesis might be more variable than ecosystem respiration on the seasonal timescale. The years focused on in this paper differ climatically, which is reflected in the measured fluxes. The environmental conditions during the five years strongly indicated that time of snow-melt and air temperature during the growing season are closely related to the interannual variation in the measured fluxes of CO₂ at the heath. Our estimates suggest that net ecosystem CO₂ uptake is enhanced by 0.16 g C m⁻² per increase in growing degree-days during the period of growth. This study emphasises that increased summer time air temperatures are favourable for this particular ecosystem in terms of carbon accumulation.     

Specification of thermal growing season in temperate China from 1960 to 2009

A number of studies have reported an extension of the thermal growing season in response to the warming climate during recent decades. However, the magnitude of extension depends heavily on the threshold temperature used: for a given area, a small change in the threshold temperature results in significant differences in the calculated thermal growing season. Here, we specified the threshold temperature for determining the thermal growing season of local vegetation across 326 meteorological stations in temperate China by using vegetation phenology based on satellite imagery. We examined changes in the start, end, and length of the thermal growing season from 1960 to 2009. The threshold temperatures for determining the start and end increased strongly with increasing mean annual temperature. Averaged across temperate China, the start of the thermal growing season advanced by 8.4?days and the end was delayed by 5.7?days, resulting in a 14.1-day extension from 1960 to 2009. The thermal growing season was intensively prolonged (by 0.59?day/year) since the mid-1980s owing to accelerated warming during this period. This extension was similar to that determined by a spatially fixed threshold temperature of 5?°C, but the spatial patterns differed, owing to differences in the threshold temperature and to intra-annual heterogeneity in climate warming. This study highlights the importance of specifying the temperature threshold for local vegetation when assessing the influences of climate change on thermal growing season, and provides a method for determining the threshold temperature from satellite-derived vegetation phenology.     

The Urban Heat Island Effect at Fairbanks, Alaska

Summary  Using climatic data from Fairbanks and rurally situated Eielson Air Force Base in Interior Alaska, the growth of the Fairbanks heat island was studied for the time period 1949 – 1997. The climate records were examined to distinguish between a general warming trend and the changes due to an increasing heat island effect. Over the 49-year period, the population of Fairbanks grew by more than 500%, while the population of Eielson remained relatively constant. The mean annual heat island observed at the Fairbanks International Airport grew by 0.4 °C, with the winter months experiencing a more significant increase of 1.0 °C. Primary focus was directed toward long-term heat island characterization based on season, wind speed, cloud cover, and time of day. In all cases, the minima temperatures were affected more than maxima and periods of calm or low wind speeds, clear winter sky conditions, and nighttime exhibited the largest heat island effects. Received August 17, 1998 Revised March 26, 1999     

上海地区单季晚稻生长期降水量对产量的影响及产量预估

为探索上海地区单季晚稻生长期内降水量分配对产量的影响.采用降水集中度(Precipitation Concentra-tion Degree,PCD)和集中期(Precipitation Concentration Period,PCP)研究1971～2015年单季晚稻全生育期内降水非均匀分布特征,运用趋势分析法研究单...     

Eastern Mediterranean summer temperatures since 730 CE from Mt. Smolikas tree-ring densities

The Mediterranean has been identified as particularly vulnerable to climate change, yet a high-resolution temperature reconstruction extending back into the Medieval Warm Period is still lacking. Here we present such a record from a high-elevation site on Mt. Smolikas in northern Greece, where some of Europe’s oldest trees provide evidence of warm season temperature variability back to 730 CE. The reconstruction is derived from 192 annually resolved, latewood density series from ancient living and relict Pinus heldreichii trees calibrating at r1911–2015 = 0.73 against regional July–September (JAS) temperatures. Although the recent 1985–2014 period was the warmest 30-year interval (JAS Twrt.1961–1990 = + 0.71 °C) since the eleventh century, temperatures during the ninth to tenth centuries were even warmer, including the warmest reconstructed 30-year period from 876–905 (+ 0.78 °C). These differences between warm periods are statistically insignificant though. Several distinct cold episodes punctuate the Little Ice Age, albeit the coldest 30-year period is centered during high medieval times from 997–1026 (− 1.63 °C). Comparison with reconstructions from the Alps and Scandinavia shows that a similar cold episode occurred in central Europe but was absent at northern latitudes. The reconstructions also reveal different millennial-scale temperature trends (NEur = − 0.73 °C/1000 years, CEur = − 0.13 °C, SEur = + 0.23 °C) potentially triggered by latitudinal changes in summer insolation due to orbital forcing. These features, the opposing millennial-scale temperature trends and the medieval multi-decadal cooling recorded in Central Europe and the Mediterranean, are not well captured in state-of-the-art climate model simulations.     

Wavelength dependence of aerosol optical depth and the fit of the Ångström law

Summary ?The dependence of aerosol optical depth on wavelength as well as the fit of the ?ngstr?m approximation have been investigated under different air masses at a sub-Arctic location (Abisko, Sweden; 68° 21′ N, 18° 49′ E) and a tropical environment (Ife, Nigeria; 7° 30′ N, 4° 31′ E). The study is based on spectral data acquired with a high resolution spectral radiometer (spectral range: 300–1100 nm) in absorption-free regions. The wavelength dependence of the aerosols under different air mass conditions at the sub-arctic location offer significant contrasts to aerosols of Saharan origin at Ife. A general characteristic of the aerosol optical depth spectra after the Pinatubo volcanic eruption was a much weaker wavelength dependence relative to pre-Pinatubo conditions. Categorising the features of the optical depth spectra according to their wavelength dependence, three main groups were observed at Abisko, while two main classes have been discussed for the harmattan season in the tropical climate of Ife and environs. For the first two groups in Abisko (and the first group at Ife), aerosol optical depth generally decreased with wavelength while the third group (second group at Ife) exhibited strong curvatures. The correlation coefficient obtained from the regression equation of the ?ngstr?m equation, has been shown to be a good index of the general fit of the ?ngstr?m approximation for the three groups at Abisko, but much weaker for the harmattan conditions at the tropical location. Although the probability of systematic deviations from the ?ngstr?m law is highest under intense harmattan conditions with considerably high β and low α, it has been observed that the ?ngstr?m fit was good in many highly turbid conditions at the tropical site. Hence, apart from the level of turbidity, the applicability of the ?ngstr?m approximation is strongly dependent on aerosol characteristics and source region. Formerly Adeyefa. Received May 18, 2001; revised June 20, 2002; accepted August 5, 2002