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Enhancing Food Security and Climate Change Resilience in Degraded Land Areas by Resilient Crops and Agroforestry

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Climate Change-Resilient Agriculture and Agroforestry

Part of the book series: Climate Change Management ((CCM))

Abstract

Land degradation is threatening food security, life quality and climate change resilience of rural communities in many parts of the world. Salinity and sodicity of soil and water, and drought are considered major causes of increasing land degradation. The soil and water problems of these areas vary in intensity and type hence need site specific solutions. These solutions depend on the needs of the farmers and the capability of the farmers to adapt a specific solution. These solutions are the use of stress resistant genotypes of crops, grasses and trees along with different amendments including organic and inorganic. The crops may be grown in slightly degraded areas whereas grasses and trees may be used for moderately to severely degraded areas. A win-win situation can be created in these areas by reversing land degradation through integrating use of crops, grasses, trees and, organic and inorganic amendments. The cultivation of barren lands not only ensures food security but also contributes to the environmental conservation through carbon sequestration and ecological rehabilitation. This chapter discusses the salt-induced land degradation, its causes and potential solutions to profitably utilize these degraded areas for enhancing food security and climate change resilience in these areas on sustainable basis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan

    Muhammad Saqib, Javaid Akhtar & Ghulam Murtaza

  2. Institute of Plant Nutrition, Justus-Liebig University, Giessen, Germany

    Muhammad Saqib

  3. Department of Environmental Science, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus, Vehari, Pakistan

    Ghulam Abbas

Authors
  1. Muhammad Saqib
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  2. Javaid Akhtar
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  3. Ghulam Abbas
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  4. Ghulam Murtaza
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Muhammad Saqib .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. CFE - Centre for Functional Ecology - Science for People & the Planet, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

    Paula Castro

  2. Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

    Anabela Marisa Azul

  3. Faculty of Life Sciences, HAW Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Walter Leal Filho

  4. Department of Biology and CESAM, Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal

    Ulisses M. Azeiteiro

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Saqib, M., Akhtar, J., Abbas, G., Murtaza, G. (2019). Enhancing Food Security and Climate Change Resilience in Degraded Land Areas by Resilient Crops and Agroforestry. In: Castro, P., Azul, A., Leal Filho, W., Azeiteiro, U. (eds) Climate Change-Resilient Agriculture and Agroforestry. Climate Change Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75004-0_16

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