Northwestern Bangladesh is increasingly exposed to drought, climate variability and slowly increasing temperatures. Strategies enhancing the ability to withstand the negative impact of natural trends and hazards on agriculture are a means to strengthen the livelihoods of the two thirds of the population employed in this sector. One such strategy...

In the highlands of Bolivia, recurrent cold waves and related extreme events severely increase the mortality rate of camelids, which represent the main source of livelihood for the local population. This technology describes the introduction “Corralones”, semi-roofed shelters aimed at protecting livestock from extreme weather and climate events in the...

The following practice is very important for farmers and extension workers in understanding the most serious insect pests affecting sweet potato in sub-saharan Africa and the extent of damage they can cause and their management. It provides background information on different pests such as sweet potato weevils, sweet potato butterflies,...

The construction of low-cost and hazard‑resistant poultry units is a disaster mitigation measure as it ensures immediate post-disaster food availability and protects income sources. The construction of hurricane-resistant farm structures was recommended during a national workshop in Grenada as one of the most easily reproducible, effective, affordable, and sustainable disaster...

Between the elevations of 1 000 and 2 000 m in the mid-hills of Nepal, over 12 million people subsist on land-holdings of less than 0.5 hectare. Farmers rely on rainfall and organic manures for soil fertility maintenance. A declining soil fertility is of increasing concern in the Bari lands...

O secador solar de milho é uma estrutura, semelhante a uma estufa, que permite secar o milho recorrendo à energia solar. Em funcionamento, a secagem demora três dias para reduzir o teor de humidade do milho de 24 para 14%. A secagem do milho reduz o risco de desenvolvimento de...

European foulbrood (EFB) is a bacterial disease of the honeybee brood. The genetic resistance to EFB of some bee species can fight the infection without causing serious damage, especially if environmental conditions are favourable. However, although chances of recovery from EFB are higher than those from American foulbrood (AFB), in...

Weather in the Andean high plateau is characterized by extreme climate events with serious impacts on agriculture, increasing the vulnerability of farmers. The lack of forecast weather stations in the region leads to a lack of data, weakening timely decision-making. The implementation of modern agro meteorological services would imply high...

The rural land tenure became a family responsibility in Qilin township, with the need to renovate irrigation infrastructure becoming more urgent. This urgency was due to natural disasters such as waterlogging and drought which caused economic losses and threatened farmer’s livelihoods. Major interventions as part of the Disaster Risk Management...

The routine tree management practices, such as pruning and cutting tree tops have been identified as among the most cost effective, easy to replicate and highly sustainable agricultural risk reduction technologies currently implemented. These practices comprise of cutting tree tops and shrubs strengthens trees so that they better withstand hurricanes...

Dry-season vegetable farmers in Ghana face increased dependency on chemical fertilizer and supplementary water inputs due to decreased soil productivity caused by prolonged cultivation that has mined the soil's previously high organic matter content. Farmers also complain of increased incidence of pests and diseases. These factors increase capital and labour...

Cette fiche technique présente différentes méthodes pour l'extraction du miel et de la cire d'abeille. Les méthodes traditionnelles sont revues de manière critique et contrastées avec d'autres méthodes facilement applicables et/ou des instruments comme le cérificateur solaire, la méthode du bain chaud (bain marie) et la méthode Ocloo (nommée après...

Le terme «pesticide» est un terme qui englobe une gamme de produits utilisés pour éliminer les parasites, notamment les insecticides, les herbicides, les fongicides, les insecticides et les rodenticides. Ces pesticides sont toxiques et peuvent être très nocifs pour la santé et l’environnement (en particulier pour les abeilles). Mais la...

The seed replacement rate in Nepal is very low and this should be increased to at least 25 to 33 percent from the current level of 4.7 percent in the country. Farmers have been growing deteriorated seeds of crop varieties for many years, without replacement. Farmers prefer local varieties in...

The tropical Andes play a fundamental role for the food security of communities in the region. In the past, Andean agriculture could maintain a diversity of crops; however, the effects of climate change added to socio economic pressures have severely degraded these fragile ecosystems, with impacts not only on the...

Local associations or farmers groups, if appropriately trained and empowered, can play a key role in disaster risk management. This practice helps in including the concept of Community-Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) in the overall context of Farmer’s Cooperatives (FC) development. This has resulted in establishing local capacities for DRM...

Jamaican small farmers implement hedgerow/alley cropping to mitigate the impacts of hydro-meteorological hazards. The hedgerows/alley cropping system is the growing of crops, usually food crops, in an alley formed by trees or woody shrubs that are cut back at crop planting and maintained as hedgerows by frequent trimming during cropping...

Aquaponics is the integration of recirculating aquaculture and hydroponics in one production system. In aquaponics, the aquaculture effluent is diverted through plant beds and not released to the environment, while at the same time the nutrients for the plants are supplied from a sustainable, cost-effective and nonchemical source. This integration...

In Nepal, monsoon rains start around July and end between October and November. Livelihoods of rural populations heavily rely on monsoon rains. However, highly variable and erratic rainfall pattern often causes droughts and floods. To manage the risks of these climate extremes, community action planning is being developed to promote...

Water in Nepal is not scarce in absolute terms, and most areas receive about 1 500 mm of precipitation each year, while certain areas may receive up to 5 000 mm. However, many parts of the country still experience water shortages, in particular during the pre-monsoon season (March to May)....