Abstract
Traditional agriculture is one of the high priority sectors in Yap Island where the impacts of climate change exceed tolerance limits with implications on the livelihoods of impoverished people occupying marginal environments. This has resulted in forced migration of atoll population to high lands in search of better living conditions. Lack of arable land adds to the agony of the displaced population and threatens the food security at household levels. For the poorest and most vulnerable communities living on fragile and degraded lands, the response measures must address the deteriorating environmental conditions. Adaptation measures driven by the land using simple, yet affordable traditional methods can stop, and even reverse land degradation. This paper examines the results of an ongoing agriculture extension program extended to the displaced atoll population at Gargey settlement on Yap Proper. It highlights the potential of integrated volcanic soil management strategies, alternate crop production practices, and mosaic restoration efforts in regreening a degraded landscape and bringing fresh promise to the displaced communities. A special emphasis is given to the climate-smart adaptation strategies under the umbrella of Pacific American Climate Funding facility to enhance the livelihood opportunities of the displaced atoll population across Yap.
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Notes
- 1.
Mosaic restoration integrates trees into mixed-use landscapes, such as agricultural lands and settlements. Trees support people by improving water quality, increasing soil fertility, and boosting other ecosystem services. This type of restoration works best in deforested or degraded landscapes with moderate population density.
- 2.
Migration typically describes a process of population movement—forced or voluntary—across an international border or within a state and encompassing any kind of movement of people, whatever the movement’s length, composition, and causes (IOM 2011; Kilot 2004). For those movement for survival due to imminent or acute environmental disaster, the term displacement is more appropriate (IOM 2011). No internationally accepted term exists for people moving for environmental reasons. In an effort to capture the complexity and breadth of the phenomenon, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has advanced the following working definition of environmental migrants (IOM 2008). Environmental migrants are persons or groups of persons who, predominantly for reasons of sudden or progressive changes in the environment that adversely affect their lives or living conditions, are obliged to leave their homes or choose to do so, either temporarily or permanently, and who move either within their country or abroad.
- 3.
FAO (2010) has developed and promotes a unified approach, known as Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA), to developing the technical, policy and investment conditions to support its member countries achieve food security under climate change. It integrates the three dimensions of sustainable development (economic, social and environmental) by jointly addressing food security and climate challenges. It is composed of three interlinked pillars:
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Sustainably increasing agricultural productivity and incomes;
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Adapting and building resilience to climate change; and
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Reducing and/or removing greenhouse gases emissions, where possible.
This approach aims to strengthen livelihoods and food security, especially of smallholders, by improving the management and use of natural resources and adopting appropriate methods and technologies for the production, processing and marketing of agricultural goods. A key component is the integrated landscape approach that follows the principles of ecosystem management and sustainable land and water use. CSA is not a single specific agricultural technology or practice that is universally applied. It is site-specific and identifies appropriate agricultural production technologies and practices.
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- 4.
The term forest landscape restoration (FLR) has been widely recognized as an important means of not only restoring ecological integrity at scale but also generating additional local-to-global benefits by boosting livelihoods, economies, food and fuel production, water security and climate change adaptation and mitigation. It combines adaptive management, participatory techniques and new and not-so-new technologies to create a flexible and creative approach to the use of trees in degraded landscapes. FLR initiative implies that any restoration efforts should improve the ecological functioning of a landscape and the well-being of the human communities that reside in that landscape. It is a forward-looking and dynamic approach, focusing on strengthening the resilience of landscapes and creating future options to adjust and further optimize ecosystem goods and services as societal needs change or new challenges arise (IUCN and WRI 2014).
- 5.
The Pacific-American Climate Fund (PACAM) is a 5-year USAID grant facility that provides support to assist Pacific island communities to adapt to the negative impacts of climate change and provide co-benefits or solutions to other development challenges, such as livelihood enhancement, improved health, food security, water availability, ecosystem conservation and improved and improved governance.
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Acknowledgements
Financial support from USDA-NIFA (Award #: 2006-51200-03594), USDA-OAO (Award #: 59-2501-10-008), and Hatch and Smith-Lever funds from the USDA—NIFA through College of Micronesia Land Grant Program and Cooperative Research and Extension, College of Micronesia-FSM, USAID—Pacific American Climate Fund (Award #: PACAM-14-0005) is gratefully acknowledged. NRCS-PIA Office in Guam is thanked for technical support with soil analysis. Author wish to thank the Executive Director, College of Micronesia Land Grant Program, Vice President, Cooperative Research and Extension, College of Micronesia-FSM, the Chief of Party, USAID Pacific American Climate Fund for encouragement and support. Thanks are also due to atoll communities in Gargey settlement for their active participation, enthusiasm and enduring support.
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Krishnapillai, M.V. (2017). Climate-Friendly Adaptation Strategies for the Displaced Atoll Population in Yap. In: Leal Filho, W. (eds) Climate Change Adaptation in Pacific Countries. Climate Change Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50094-2_6
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