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Assessing village-level carbon balance due to greenhouse gas mitigation interventions using EX-ACT model
Srinivasarao, Ch.; Sudha Rani, Y.; Girija Veni, V.; Sharma, K. L.; Maruthi Sankar, G. R.; Prasad, J. V. N. S.; Prasad, Y. G. & Sahrawat, K. L.
Abstract
Under National Initiative on Climate Resilient
Agriculture (NICRA) project, a range of climate smart
agricultural practices were evaluated with on-farm
demonstrations during 2011–2013 in eight climatically
vulnerable villages of Andhra Pradesh, India. Proven climate
smart practices viz residue recycling, soil, water and
nutrient management, afforestation and feeding + breeding
practices in livestock were implemented in annual and
perennial crops, irrigated rice, horticulture, fodder, forestry
and livestock. An EX-ante carbon-balance tool (EX-ACT)
developed by the FAO was used with a combination of
various climate smart interventions to know the mitigation
potentials in eight climatically vulnerable villages of
Andhra Pradesh, India. Based on our observations, EXACT
model had shown that these practices were effective
to mitigate CO2 emissions apart from enhancing soil productivity.
In Nacharam, Yagantipalli, Sirusuwada and
Matsyapuri villages, climate smart practices implemented
in annual crops along with crop residue recycling, crop and
water management practices resulted in negative carbon
(C) balance by -16,410, -8851, -7271 and -6125 t CO2
e, respectively. The EX-ACT model predicted positive
carbon balance with irrigated module in the rice-growing
villages of Sirusuwada and Matsyapuri villages. The
negative values suggest a sink, and positive values a source
for CO2 emissions. In Chamaluru village, although there
were CO2 emissions (source) due to livestock and nonforest
and land use changes, there was a carbon sink due to
other activities as predicted by the model. The results
suggested that various climatic smart practices at the village
level were successful in creating net sink of CO2
emissions (t CO2 e).
Keywords
CO2 emissions; EX-ACT model; Agriculture; Carbon balance; Climatic smart practices
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