Your search found 13 records
1 Ntow, W. J.; Ameyibor, J.; Kelderman, P.; Drechsel, Pay; Gijzen, H. J. 2007. Dissipation of endosulfan in field-grown tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) and cropped soil at Akumadan, Ghana. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 55: 10864–10871.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI 635.642 G200 NTO Record No: H040553)
The dissipation and persistence of endosulfan (6,7,8,9,10,10-hexachloro-1,5,5a,6,9,9a-hexahydro- 6,9-methano-2,4,3-benzodioxathiepin 3-oxide) applied to field-grown tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) were studied at a vegetable-growing location in Ghana. Plant tissue samples and cropped soil collected at 2 h-14 days and 8 h-112 days, respectively, after application, were analyzed by gas chromatography-electron capture detection (63Ni) to determine the content and dissipation rate of endosulfan isomers (R- and _-endosulfan) and the major metabolite, endosulfan sulfate. After two foliar applications of commercial endosulfan at 500 g of active ingredient/hectare, the first-order reaction kinetic was confirmed to describe the dissipation of endosulfan residues in tomato foliage and cropped soil. However, functions that best fit the experimental data were the biphasic process for foliage and the monophasic process for cropped soil. Calculated DT50 and DT90 values for endosulfan residues in cropped soil were not significantly (p < 0.05) different for each of the two isomers.
2 Noble, Andrew; Amerasinghe, Priyanie; Manthrithilake, Herath; Arasalingam, Sutharsiny. 2014. Review of literature on chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) in Sri Lanka. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 41p. (IWMI Working Paper 158) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2014.206]
Kidney diseases ; Chronic course ; Aetiology ; Water quality ; Drinking water ; Groundwater ; Contamination ; Arsenic ; Toxicity ; Cadmium ; Phosphates ; Fluorides ; Aluminium ; Agrochemicals ; Health hazards ; Food chains ; Farmers ; Wells ; Literature ; Research / Sri Lanka / Medawachchiya / Anuradhapura
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H046435)
(679.55 KB)
This manuscript undertakes a review of current published information (peer-reviewed and grey literature) on Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Etiology (CKDu) in Sri Lanka. It attempts to provide an overview of the possible environmentally-induced causal factors that have been implicated in the development of the disease, and identifies the gaps in research and recommends potential areas for future research. The review specifically captures the potential role that agriculture and water resources may play as causal factors in the development of the disease, and calls for a systematic approach and stresses the need for an integrated multi-disciplinary research effort to address the problem.
3 Balasubramanya, Soumya; Stifel, David; Horbulyk, Ted; Kafle, Kashi. 2020. Chronic kidney disease and household behaviors in Sri Lanka: historical choices of drinking water and agrochemical use. Economics and Human Biology, 37:100862. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ehb.2020.100862]
Kidney diseases ; Chronic course ; Drinking water treatment ; Groundwater ; Public health ; Risk factors ; Households ; Behaviour ; Agricultural practices ; Agrochemicals ; Farmland ; Water supply ; Wells ; Water purification ; Reverse osmosis ; Socioeconomic environment ; Rural areas ; Models / Sri Lanka / Mullaitivu / Vavuniya / Trincomalee / Anuradhapura / Polonnaruwa / Kurunegala / Matale / Ampara / Badulla / Monaragala
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049541)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1570677X19302576/pdfft?md5=493e1025b9a9e466cbbde1bcad6be90c&pid=1-s2.0-S1570677X19302576-main.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049541.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049541.pdf
(1.37 MB) (1.37 MB)
This paper examines whether there are systematic differences in the historical behaviors of households that are affected and unaffected by chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Sri Lanka pertaining to their water source choices, water treatment practices, and agrochemical use. This analysis is motivated by the Sri Lankan government’s largest policy response to this epidemic – to encourage communities to switch from untreated well water to publicly provided alternatives. We use recall methods to elicit information on the drinking water source and treatment choices of households over an 18-year period from 2000– 2017. Our analysis is based on a survey of 1497 rural ground-water dependent households in the most CKD-affected areas of the 10 districts of Sri Lanka with the highest prevalence of CKD. Our main findings are that (a) households that have ever used a pump to extract (typically deep) drinking water from a household well are more likely to be affected by CKD; (b) we fail to find a relationship between disease status and households’ use of buckets to extract (typically shallow) groundwater from their wells; and (c) those who have ever treated their shallow well water by boiling it are less likely to be affected by CKD. We also find that a greater share of CKD affected households historically used agrochemicals, used wells that were geographically removed from surface water sources, and displayed lower proxies of wealth. The implications of these findings are fourfold. First, since the systematic differences in the historical patterns of water sources and treatments used by CKD affected and non-affected households are modest, the sources of water and the treatment practices themselves may not be the sole risk factors in developing CKD. Second, although we find a negative association between boiling water and the probability of CKD, it is not obvious that a public policy campaign to promote boiling water is an appropriate response. Third, the hydrochemistry of deep and shallow well water needs to be better understood in order to shed light on the positive relationship between deep well water and disease status, and on why boiling shallow but not deep well water is associated with a lower probability of CKD. Fourth, there is a need for a deeper understanding of other risk factors and of the efficacy of preventative programs that provide alternative sources of household drinking water.
4 Li, K.; Zhang, H.; Li, X.; Wang, C.; Zhang, J.; Jiang, R.; Feng, G.; Liu, X.; Zuo, Y.; Yuan, H.; Zhang, C.; Gai, J.; Tian, J. 2021. Field management practices drive ecosystem multifunctionality in a smallholder-dominated agricultural system. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 313:107389. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2021.107389]
Farming systems ; Smallholders ; Ecosystem services ; Agroecosystems ; Management techniques ; Farmland ; Soil microorganisms ; Agrochemicals ; Fertilizers ; Households ; Farm income ; Farmers ; Socioeconomic aspects / China / Hebei / Quzhou
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050334)
(6.12 MB)
Agroecosystems provide multiple goods and services that are important for human welfare. Despite the importance of field management practices for agroecosystem service delivery, the links of socioeconomic factors, management practices and ecosystem multifunctionality have rarely been explicitly evaluated in agroecosystems. Here we used a county-scale database with 100 farmer households and their farmlands, and analyzed the relative importance of management practices, soil abiotic environment and soil biota on multifunctionality under three distinct (‘smallholder’s viewpoint’, ‘sustainable soils’ and ‘equal weight’) scenarios. Furthermore, we also analyzed the effect of smallholders’ socioeconomic factors on management practices. Our results found that smallholders’ high inputs of fertilizers and agrochemicals were associated with their high agricultural income and less farmland area, but total land area had a positive effect on straw incorporation. Total soil biota index was positively related to multifunctionality, however, management practices (fertilizer input, agrochemical input, organic fertilizer amount and straw incorporation) had stronger effect on multifunctionality than that of soil biota or the abiotic environment. Their strength varied with distinct scenarios. Our work suggests that increasing organic materials (organic fertilizers and crop residues) and decreasing agrochemicals are beneficial for maintaining or increasing ecosystem multifunctionality in smallholder-dominated agroecosystems. Moreover, improving management practices of smallholders needs to take into account the effects of their socioeconomic factors.
5 Ragkos, A.; Ambas, V. 2021. Examining the potential of an irrigation work to improve sustainability in a rural area. Water Supply, 15p. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/ws.2021.106]
Irrigation water ; Sustainability ; Rural areas ; Public-private partnerships ; Cost benefit analysis ; Sustainable development ; Water use ; Cropping patterns ; Agrochemicals ; Farmers ; Governance ; Models / Greece / Limnochori / Macedonia
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050350)
https://iwaponline.com/ws/article-pdf/doi/10.2166/ws.2021.106/879331/ws2021106.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050350.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050350.pdf
(0.44 MB) (452 KB)
Irrigation works aim to increase the efficiency of water use and economic benefits for farmers. This study adopts a broader view and investigates their potential to contribute to the achievement of other sustainability objectives. In particular, the paper employs a multi-objective programming (MOP) model, which examines the possibilities to simultaneously achieve four conflicting objectives with the upgrade of an irrigation network in a rural area in Greece. The four objectives are maximization of economic result (economic sustainability) and of employment (social sustainability) as well as the minimization of agrochemical use and irrigation water consumption (environmental sustainability). The compromise is sought through different cropping patterns either by restructuring existing crops (Scenario 1) or by also introducing new crops (Scenario 2). The results show that solutions in Scenario 2 performs much better in all dimensions of sustainability, however large increases in economic performance and employment come with lower environmental gains. A Cost-Benefit Analysis shows that very few solutions yield positive Net Present Value and the investment could be halted if benefits relating to social and environmental sustainability are disregarded. Results are discussed in conjunction to the proposal of a new governance scheme, which could assume broader roles in supporting sustainable development.
6 Imbulana, S; Oguma, K. 2021. Groundwater as a potential cause of chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) in Sri Lanka: a review. Journal of Water and Health, 19(3):393-410. [doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wh.2021.079]
Kidney diseases ; Chronic course ; Aetiology ; Groundwater ; Risk factors ; Drinking water ; Water quality ; Fluorides ; Heavy metals ; Cadmium ; Water hardness ; Cations ; Wells ; Agrochemicals ; Organic matter ; Arid zones ; Communities / Sri Lanka
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050453)
https://iwaponline.com/jwh/article-pdf/19/3/393/902741/jwh0190393.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050453.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050453.pdf
(0.39 MB) (396 KB)
The cause of Chronic Kidney Disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) in the rural dry zone of Sri Lanka remains unidentified, despite vast research efforts that brought about an extensive list of potential risk factors. Among these, the long-term exposure to various nephrotoxic elements through drinking groundwater was widely suspected owing to the unique geographical distribution of the disease. This review focuses on such well-known hypotheses suspecting the relations with fluoride, hardness, major ions, heavy metals, metalloids, organic matter, agrochemical residues, pathogens, and bacterial toxins in the groundwaters of the CKDu-endemic region. It was comprehensively discussed why each of these constituents was considered a risk factor of CKDu, how could they possibly trigger the pathogenesis of the disease, what was the evidence that supported or failed each hypothesis, and whether providing safe drinking water had been effective at mitigating the progression of the disease. Although plenty of circumstantial evidence supported an etiology related to groundwater for CKDu, it was impossible to elucidate the cause–effect relationships between drinking impaired groundwater and the occurrence of the disease. Future research should be effectively designed to clarify the role of groundwater in the onset of CKDu by taking into account the gaps in past research.
7 Teklu, B. M.; Haileslassie, Amare; Mekuria, Wolde. 2022. Pesticides as water pollutants and level of risks to environment and people: an example from Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 24(4):5275-5294. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-021-01658-9]
Water pollution ; Aquatic ecosystems ; Pesticide toxicity ; Environmental impact ; Local communities ; Awareness ; Surface water ; Agrochemicals ; Aquatic animals / Ethiopia / Central Rift Valley
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050604)
(1.75 MB)
Sustainable agriculture focuses using agricultural resources with minimum possible negative environmental externality to produce more food. The present study reports the environmental and health risks associated with the use, management and handling of agrochemical in the Central Rift Valley, Ethiopia. Six Woredas (or districts) covering both upstream and downstream areas and major ecosystems were selected. Data were collected using focus group discussion, key informant interviews, field observation and literature review. Pesticide Risks in the Tropics for Man, Environment and Trade tool was used to analyse data. Results indicated that local community’s awareness on use, handling and management of pesticides was low. Applications of insecticides, fungicides and herbicides polluted surface water systems and affected aquatic animals and plants with different level of risk (i.e. from no or insignificant risk to acute and chronic levels). The level of risks of using agrochemical on aquatic animals, human and the environment increased when the agricultural practices changed from good to non-good practices (i.e. increasing frequency of application). The types of agrochemicals determined the levels of risks on aquatic animals, human and the environment. For example, copper hydroxide and Lambda pose high risk, whereas Chlorpyrifos poses possible risk on fish under good agricultural practices. Also, the results indicated that the level of risks of using agrochemicals on fish and aquatic vertebrates was high for few pesticides (e.g. Chlorpyrifos) under both good and bad agricultural practices. The results of the present study support decision makers, practitioners and farmers to put corrective measures when importing agrochemicals, provide targeted risk management schemes including training on safety measures and screen agrochemicals on the market, respectively.
8 Wentworth, A.; Pavelic, Paul; Kongmany, S.; Sotoukee, T.; Sengphaxaiyalath, K.; Phomkeona, K.; Deevanhxay, P.; Chounlamany, V.; Manivong, V. 2021. Environmental risks from pesticide use: the case of commercial banana farming in northern Lao PDR. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 66p. (IWMI Research Report 177) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2021.207]
Pesticide residues ; Environmental impact ; Risk assessment ; Commercial farming ; Bananas ; Agrochemicals ; Fertilizer application ; Pest management ; Guidelines ; Surface water ; Groundwater ; Sediment ; Soil analysis ; Water quality ; Drinking water ; Contamination ; Environmental monitoring ; Agricultural practices ; Water management ; Irrigation ; Land use ; Seasonal variation ; Stream flow ; Runoff ; Farmers ; Health hazards ; Modelling / Lao People's Democratic Republic / Luang Namtha / Phongsaly / Oudomxay / Houn / Sibounheuang
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H050717)
(6.93 MB)
Commercial farming of banana for export has rapidly expanded across northern uplands of Laos since 2008 with the establishment of new plantations by foreign companies. Heavy reliance on agrochemical usage warrants examination of possible environmental and human health risks. This study presents a preliminary assessment of the environmental risks from pesticide usage associated with bananas and other major crops in Oudomxay province.
Surface water, groundwater, soil and sediment samples collected from the study area were analyzed for pesticide residues in the laboratory during the wet and dry seasons. Results of the analysis revealed that samples from banana farms had higher concentrations of residues from currently used (CU) pesticides compared with samples from adjacent farms producing maize, rubber, upland rice and gourd. Residues from highly persistent organochlorine (OC) pesticides, such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, heptachlor, dieldrin and lindane, which are no longer used in Laos, were also detected. Laboratory results were compared against a low-cost pesticide residue detection method and a simple pesticide risk assessment tool. However, neither approach was comparable to laboratory analysis.
The potential environmental risk from pesticides and pesticide breakdown products was found to be substantial. For example, concentrations of some CU compounds exceeded the limits set by the World Health Organization.
The report highlights several mitigation measures to reduce the environmental risks from hazardous pesticides: (i) increase efforts to eliminate the import and use of hazardous and persistent pesticides; (ii) promote targeted education programs to implement best practices, including the selection and use of pesticides as per international standards, and Integrated Pest Management techniques; (iii) identify and protect drinking water sources with a high risk of contamination; and (iv) maintain vegetated buffers and sediment traps to detain farm runoff, which will allow CU pesticides to degrade to safe levels before entering watercourses.
Surface water, groundwater, soil and sediment samples collected from the study area were analyzed for pesticide residues in the laboratory during the wet and dry seasons. Results of the analysis revealed that samples from banana farms had higher concentrations of residues from currently used (CU) pesticides compared with samples from adjacent farms producing maize, rubber, upland rice and gourd. Residues from highly persistent organochlorine (OC) pesticides, such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, heptachlor, dieldrin and lindane, which are no longer used in Laos, were also detected. Laboratory results were compared against a low-cost pesticide residue detection method and a simple pesticide risk assessment tool. However, neither approach was comparable to laboratory analysis.
The potential environmental risk from pesticides and pesticide breakdown products was found to be substantial. For example, concentrations of some CU compounds exceeded the limits set by the World Health Organization.
The report highlights several mitigation measures to reduce the environmental risks from hazardous pesticides: (i) increase efforts to eliminate the import and use of hazardous and persistent pesticides; (ii) promote targeted education programs to implement best practices, including the selection and use of pesticides as per international standards, and Integrated Pest Management techniques; (iii) identify and protect drinking water sources with a high risk of contamination; and (iv) maintain vegetated buffers and sediment traps to detain farm runoff, which will allow CU pesticides to degrade to safe levels before entering watercourses.
9 Klingenberg, C. O.; Valle Antunes Junior, J. A.; Muller-Seitz, G. 2022. Impacts of digitalization on value creation and capture: evidence from the agricultural value chain. Agricultural Systems, 201:103468. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2022.103468]
Agricultural value chains ; Agribusiness ; Agro-industrial sector ; Innovation ; Governance ; Fertilizers ; Agrochemicals ; Digital technology ; Ecosystems / Brazil
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051404)
(1.71 MB)
CONTEXT: Digitalisation impacts value creation and capture in all industries economic sectors. One of the somewhat less researched and less well-understood contexts is agriculture.
OBJECTIVE: To describe the impacts of digitalisation on value creation through four dimensions of the value chain – activities, flows, actors and governance – and analyse the implications of these changes for value capture.
METHODS: We conducted a case study on the upstream section of a farm's value chain, including the most relevant actors, and complemented it with secondary data from papers and gray literature.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: We found two important impacts: (i) value creation occurs increasingly through platforms operated by big players beyond the industry boundaries, and (ii) value capture by farmers depends on the competitive dynamics among these players, and on policies and regulations.
SIGNIFICANCE: The study addresses the four dimensions of the agricultural value chain, allowing a deeper understanding of its digital transformation. The paper also contributes to knowledge about the evolution of the industries involved by discussing the competitive dynamics. These views are relevant to guiding the strategic decisions of suppliers, farmers and policymakers.
OBJECTIVE: To describe the impacts of digitalisation on value creation through four dimensions of the value chain – activities, flows, actors and governance – and analyse the implications of these changes for value capture.
METHODS: We conducted a case study on the upstream section of a farm's value chain, including the most relevant actors, and complemented it with secondary data from papers and gray literature.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: We found two important impacts: (i) value creation occurs increasingly through platforms operated by big players beyond the industry boundaries, and (ii) value capture by farmers depends on the competitive dynamics among these players, and on policies and regulations.
SIGNIFICANCE: The study addresses the four dimensions of the agricultural value chain, allowing a deeper understanding of its digital transformation. The paper also contributes to knowledge about the evolution of the industries involved by discussing the competitive dynamics. These views are relevant to guiding the strategic decisions of suppliers, farmers and policymakers.
10 Wickramasinghe, M. R. C. P.; Dayawansa, N. D. K.; Jayasiri, M. M. J. G. C. N.; De Silva, R. P. 2023. A study on external pressures of an ancient irrigation cascade system in Sri Lanka. Agricultural Systems, 205:103593. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2022.103593]
Irrigation ; History ; Villages ; Tanks ; Systems ; Water quality ; Agrochemicals ; Runoff ; Land use change ; Climate variability ; Population growth ; Intensification ; Farming systems ; Water management ; Arid zones ; Agroclimatic zones ; Precipitation ; Water availability ; Sustainability ; Fertilizers ; Salinity ; Soil erosion ; Forest cover ; Water management / Sri Lanka / Anuradhapura / Maha Illuppallama / Mahakanumulla
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051615)
(3.87 MB)
CONTEXT: Village Tank Cascade Systems (VTCSs), which are ancient irrigation systems in Sri Lanka have undergone various pressures over time including climate variability, population growth, land use changes and agricultural intensification. VTCSs have provided irrigation and vital ecosystem services for generations, while facing these pressures. As external pressures have increased drastically over the last century, it is worthwhile to investigate VTCS's current capacity to tolerate pressures exerted on them while sustaining their functions.
OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study were to (i) assess the pressures exerted on Mahakanumulla VTCS due to climate change, population growth, land use changes and agricultural practices, (ii) evaluate the impacts of the pressures on the system in terms of water quality and quantity.
METHODS: Rainfall data from 1906 to 2020 were analyzed to identify the rainfall trends over the last century. Land use maps were developed for 1910, 1979, 2002 and 2018. To identify current farming practices, a questionnaire survey was carried out targeting 357 respondents followed by field investigations. Environmental impacts due to pressures on the system were evaluated using water quantity estimations and quality tests.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Paddy extent has increased from 6.3% to 20.2% while the homestead extent has increased from 1.6% to 11.5% during the last century. The lands used for sustainable shifting cultivation have encroached with permanent agricultural lands and human settlements. The runoff coefficient rose from 0.29 to 0.45, indicating a high outflow of water during rains and limiting water retention within the system. This is an indication of increasing water scarcity in dry periods due to limited recharge capacity. Although the system continues to function without significant water quality deterioration, agricultural activities can cause threats in the future. Hence, the system needs immediate attention in the context of proper land use planning, farmer awareness and integrated nutrient management at the cascade level to minimize these pressures exerted upon the system.
SIGNIFICANCE: Identifying and quantifying various pressures exerted on VTCSs is the fundamental step in setting management and mitigation plans. Project planners and policymakers need evidence-based information in this regard. Therefore, this study's findings and the research framework that may be extended to other VTCSs and similar systems are significant in creating a favorable policy environment and implementation programmes to reduce the risks the VTCSs are exposed to.
OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study were to (i) assess the pressures exerted on Mahakanumulla VTCS due to climate change, population growth, land use changes and agricultural practices, (ii) evaluate the impacts of the pressures on the system in terms of water quality and quantity.
METHODS: Rainfall data from 1906 to 2020 were analyzed to identify the rainfall trends over the last century. Land use maps were developed for 1910, 1979, 2002 and 2018. To identify current farming practices, a questionnaire survey was carried out targeting 357 respondents followed by field investigations. Environmental impacts due to pressures on the system were evaluated using water quantity estimations and quality tests.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Paddy extent has increased from 6.3% to 20.2% while the homestead extent has increased from 1.6% to 11.5% during the last century. The lands used for sustainable shifting cultivation have encroached with permanent agricultural lands and human settlements. The runoff coefficient rose from 0.29 to 0.45, indicating a high outflow of water during rains and limiting water retention within the system. This is an indication of increasing water scarcity in dry periods due to limited recharge capacity. Although the system continues to function without significant water quality deterioration, agricultural activities can cause threats in the future. Hence, the system needs immediate attention in the context of proper land use planning, farmer awareness and integrated nutrient management at the cascade level to minimize these pressures exerted upon the system.
SIGNIFICANCE: Identifying and quantifying various pressures exerted on VTCSs is the fundamental step in setting management and mitigation plans. Project planners and policymakers need evidence-based information in this regard. Therefore, this study's findings and the research framework that may be extended to other VTCSs and similar systems are significant in creating a favorable policy environment and implementation programmes to reduce the risks the VTCSs are exposed to.
11 Nayak, H. S.; Parihar, C. M.; Aravindakshan, S.; Silva, J. V.; Krupnik, T. J.; McDonald, A. J.; Kakraliya, S. K.; Sena, Dipaka R.; Kumar, V.; Sherpa, S.; Bijarniya, D.; Singh, L. K.; Kumar, M.; Choudhary, K. M.; Kumar, S.; Kumar, Y.; Jat, H. S.; Sidhu, H. S.; Jat, M. L.; Sapkota, T. B. 2023. Pathways and determinants of sustainable energy use for rice farms in India. Energy, 272:126986. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2023.126986]
Energy consumption ; Sustainable use ; Use efficiency ; Rice ; Farms ; Agricultural production ; Policies ; Data envelopment analysis ; Fertilizers ; Agrochemicals ; Irrigation ; Tillage ; Farmers / India / Indo-Gangetic Plains / Haryana / Punjab
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051816)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544223003808/pdfft?md5=7b2e844c17f060ec2d4b8be07b1e9b11&pid=1-s2.0-S0360544223003808-main.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051816.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051816.pdf
(4.75 MB) (4.75 MB)
Rice cultivation in the Western Indo-Gangetic plains of India is often blamed for higher energy use. Thus, a bootstrapped meta-frontier approach with a truncated regression approach was used on a database of 3832 rice farms from the input-intensive rice production tracts of western Indo-Gangetic Plains for sustainable energy-use assessment. Farms were classified based on efficiency scores to screen the inefficient practices and farms in Indo-Gangetic Plains. The district-specific technical-efficiency scores ranged between 0.68 and 0.99, with a mean of 0.86–0.90, suggesting average improvement in energy-use efficiency by 10–14% within the district. The mean meta-frontier technical-efficiency score ranged between 0.60 and 0.81. On average, the energy-use-efficient farms had 42% or higher energy-use efficiency in the districts of Ambala, Fatehgarh Sahib, and Karnal. In contrast, in other districts, the efficient farms had 5-19% higher energy-use efficiency. There is evidence of a higher number of tillage, irrigation, and fertilizer application among the inefficient farmers, specific to some districts. The efficient as well as inefficient farmers in Kapurthala and Ludhiana spend similar energy in tillage, whereas, the energy output from both efficient and inefficient farms are similar in Kurukshetra. Thus, there is a need of differential attention specific to district and practices. The evidence provided in this study can help to identify pathways toward sustainable energy use for future rice production in other ecologies too. Similar type of analysis can be carried out for other parameters like profitability and carbon footprint to explore where farmers are spending extra monetary and carbon inputs, and not getting additional yield benefits.
12 Senanayake, N. 2023. Towards a feminist political ecology of health: mystery kidney disease and the co-production of social, environmental, and bodily difference. Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space, 6(2):1007-1029. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/25148486221113963]
Kidney diseases ; Feminization ; Political ecology ; Health hazards ; Intersectionality ; Arid zones ; Agrochemicals ; Drinking water ; Water use ; Women ; Households ; Rice ; Farmers / Sri Lanka / Padaviya / Sri Pura
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052200)
(0.60 MB)
This article argues for a more rigorous engagement with intersectionality within political ecologies of health. Building on the work of feminist scholars who explore the co-production of social and ecological differences, I examine how health improvement schemes that target practices of natural resource use concentrate value (economic and ecological) and health dividends in particular bodies at the expense of others. As part of this intervention, I draw on long-term and ongoing ethnographic research in north-central Sri Lanka. This region is an endemic zone for a mysterious and deadly form of kidney disease (CKDu) as well as the site of frenzied health improvement intervention. Specifically, and in response to scientific studies that link kidney disease to agrochemical use and drinking water, an increasingly diverse range of actors, from different branches of the state apparatus to private industries and civil society organizations, have invested heavily in reconfiguring the region’s water supply infrastructure and agrarian landscapes. Through an analysis of resident testimonies, I demonstrate that the burden of subsidizing these new “healthful” practices of water provision and agricultural production is unevenly experienced, as are residents’ abilities to adopt and maintain them over time and space. More crucially, I illustrate how schemes designed to heal turn on the production of differentiated harms, including new gendered labor burdens for poor women, and intensified agrochemical use for ecologically and economically resource-poor farmers. Developing these narratives toward a feminist political ecology of health, I demonstrate how social, ecological, and bodily differences intersect to constitute new patterns of health and harm in the dry zone. I conclude by reflecting on how this approach can explain the paradoxical effects of well-intentioned disease mitigation strategies.
13 Drechsel, Pay; Madhuwanthi, Piumi; Nisansala, Duleesha; Ramamoorthi, Dushiya; Bandara, Thilini. 2023. On the feasibility of an agricultural revolution: Sri Lanka’s move to go 100% organic. Paper presented at the Annual International Conference on Research in Tropical and Subtropical Agriculture, Natural Resource Management and Rural Development (Tropentag) on Competing Pathways for Equitable Food Systems Transformation: Trade-Offs and Synergies, Berlin, Germany, 20-22 September 2023. 4p.
Organic fertilizers ; Agrochemicals ; Inorganic fertilizers ; Agricultural sector ; Rice ; Tea ; Public health ; Fertilizer legislation / Sri Lanka
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052324)
(0.37 MB) (382 KB)
In April 2021, the Sri Lankan Government banned imports of agrochemicals, including chemical fertilizers, to make Sri Lanka the first fully organic and chemical fertilizer-free country globally. The ban was justified by human and environmental health concerns, such as many cases of kidney failure in the central parts of Sri Lanka. While previous policies had envisioned a stepwise transition, the sudden ban jolted the agriculture sector. However, it was aligned with the emerging national economic crisis with drastically declining foreign exchange reserves that restricted the import of commodities, including fertilizer for distribution at subsidized prices. The ban was also opportune because fertilizer prices peaked on international markets in 2022. Without any transitional time, the thrust for organic fertilizers failed to satisfy demand or obtain the required crop nutrients resulting in severe agricultural losses. After the first data on decreasing yields were revealed, the government lifted the chemical fertilizer ban on December 1, 2021, but it was too late as the cropping season had arrived. Without financial reserves to import fertilizer, the donor community was urged to assist. This paper addresses: (1) justification of the ban, (2) the feasibility of transitioning to organic fertilizers based on the available biomass to replace chemical fertilizers; and (3) the related cost implications. The scenarios focus on irrigated paddy rice and the plantation sector that underpin the national economy. Undervalued nutrient sources are also considered as well as the constraints to and implications of such a transition beyond Sri Lanka’s frontiers.
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