At the #Atoms4Climate pavilion at COP27, scientific experts shared diverse perspectives on topics including irrigation, plant breeding and gender mainstreaming as they met to discuss the disproportionate impact of climate change in Africa, as well as potential measures for adaptation. The IAEA, in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) through the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, has a history of supporting country efforts to adapt to climate change using nuclear techniques to improve food security.
“Africa is identified as the region most at risk of experiencing the impacts of climate change due to its high dependence on natural resources and rain-fed agriculture. Current climate-related stressors such as drought, floods and rainfall variability, coupled with a need for capacity building, make countries in Africa highly vulnerable to future climate change,” said Shaukat Abdulrazak, Director of the Division for Africa in the IAEA Department of Technical Cooperation, in his introductory remarks at the event.
Participants at the event were given insight into successful plant breeding techniques to create new crop varieties that can withstand emerging climatic conditions, through an IAEA film on climate smart agriculture in Kenya. A new variety of wheat has been particularly successful, as it is both resistant to disease and tolerant of drought.
Speakers discussed the importance of water resources in ensuring food security during periods of water scarcity. Cheïma Fersi, a researcher at the National Institute of Research and Physicochemical Analysis in Tunisia, suggested that in addition to drought-tolerant crops, there are potential benefits to using wastewater that has been recycled through radiation technology, for irrigation. “The re-use of treated wastewater for irrigation is a strategic choice, which aims to preserve the limited water resources of African countries,” said Fersi.
Through plant breeding and the analysis of soil and water for irrigation, the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre has helped improve the yields of staple crops like cassava. “The strategic application of water and animal residues has built soil fertility and minimized the dependency on expensive chemical fertilizer,” said Mohamad Zaman, a Soil Scientist and Plant Nutritionist at the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre. “Such application can increase the production of cassava from 10 tonnes per hectare to 40 tonnes.”
Christoph Müller, Professor of Experimental Plant Ecology at the Justus Liebig University Giessen in Germany, stressed that successful climate adaptation efforts merge these innovative techniques with the considerable expertise of African farmers. “We like to combine this knowledge with the latest technology,” he said. “That is why we are sitting together at COP27 – to put things into action that we already know should happen.” He emphasized the key role of capacity building in responding to climate change.
Mary Boadu, a researcher at the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission and Board Member of Women in Nuclear Global, also underscored the importance of capacity building, especially the inclusion of young women in the nuclear science sphere. The Women in Nuclear initiative inaugurated its African regional chapter in September 2020, and to date there are 13 Women in Nuclear chapters in Africa.
At COP27, Boadu highlighted the important role that women play in crop production and crop improvement, for instance in their work with crops like rice, sorghum and cowpea in Tanzania and Namibia, and the significance of recognizing and promoting the work of women in the nuclear field in Africa.
“Through Women in Nuclear activities, we are encouraging and interacting with women to ensure that their activities come to the fore, so that young women and girls can join and take up careers in nuclear,” said Boadu.
By bringing together diverse views and expertise, the IAEA works to tackle the effects of climate change, improving crop yields under new conditions. “There are many, often overlapping, key drivers of food insecurity in Africa, and we are soberly aware of the spectrum of relevant strategic issues that must be addressed,” added Abdulrazak. “As we better understand and make critical connections between gender inequality, social equity and climate change, it’s time we take action to find a solution.”
The event at COP27 provided a platform to outline key methods of collaboration in the agricultural sphere in Africa using nuclear science and technology.
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency