Revitalization of Rivers in India Draft Policy - Isha Guru Jaggi Vasudev

Revitalization of Rivers In India
Draft Policy Recommendation
REDUCING AGRICULTURAL EMISSIONS
We can reduce carbon emissions from soil by slowing or ending land clearing
and wetland drainage for agriculture, preventing erosion and reversing the
degradation of agricultural soils, and reducing tillage. We can reduce fossil fuel
emissions by reducing the use of mechanized equipment and cutting back on
chemical nitrogen fertilizers, which are energy-intensive to manufacture. We can
replace fossil fuels with renewable sources of energy.
We can reduce methane emissions by changing the way we farm. Rice paddies
emit substantial amounts of methane; letting paddies dry out can greatly reduce
the impact. Emissions from livestock manure and the digestion of ruminant
livestock such as cattle can also be reduced. We can reduce nitrous oxide emissions
from chemical fertilizer by using fertilizer more efficiently with better timing and
applying appropriate amounts, or by replacing it with manure or nitrogen-fixing
plants such as legume cover crops or agroforestry support trees. Food supply with
efficient transport and distribution, like central pickup sites, etc., can greatly
reduce emissions.
AGROECOLOGICAL INTENSIFICATION
In order to meet our food needs without sacrificing more carbon-storing natural
ecosystems, we will have to improve our yields on the farmland we already have –
a challenge called agricultural intensification.
Industrial gains in yield have come at a huge social and ecological cost. This includes
climate costs such as emissions from the manufacture and use of synthetic nitrogen
fertilizers. Can ecological farming provide high enough yields to prevent further land
clearing for agriculture? The answer varies considerably from system to system and
site to site. Agroecological systems like polycultures, once established (which can
take several years), often yield better than industrial agriculture.
CARBON SEQUESTRATION
Agricultural carbon sequestration involves removing excess carbon dioxide from
the atmosphere and storing it in soil organic matter, and in the aboveground
biomass of long-lived plants and trees (perennials). This natural part of the
carbon cycle provides us with a powerful tool for climate mitigation.
Annexures
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