Tbilisi, Georgia: As climate change continues to pose significant threats to agriculture worldwide, farmers in Georgia are taking proactive steps to safeguard their livelihoods.
Since the beginning of the century, the frequency of extreme weather events caused by climate change: hail, drought, strong winds, floods, and frost has increased almost twice. Although the process is cyclical, climate change will adversely affect agriculture: reducing yields and endangering food security.
Climate change poses a real threat to farmers around the world. Agriculture is highly dependent on good weather, including high and low temperatures, rainfall, wind intensity, and many other variables.
Risks are clear – Estimates show that climate change might reduce global agriculture productivity by 17% by 2050, experts forecast that global temperature may reduce grain yield by 10% worldwide, and 30% of agricultural lands are already under threat of climate change and desert. Due to this situation, farmers must be prepared to face the existing challenges and protect the crops.
Agrometeorology is the field that helps them to be informed about possible dangers in advance, improve crop quality, and save agricultural costs.
Supported by UNDP and the Green Climate Fund, agrometeorological stations are being installed throughout Georgia that measure meteorological parameters in 24-hour mode to forecast extreme weather events.
The information received from the station will be transferred to the National Environment Agency for the reaction. Currently, 22 agrometeorological stations are already functioning throughout the country. As a result, farmers have information about the possible hazard in advance, which helps them reduce risks and expected harm.
The program titled, “Reducing the risk of disasters caused by climate change in Georgia” is co-financed by the Government of Georgia, the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Swiss Development and Cooperation Agency (SDC), and the Government of Sweden. The program’s implementation is overseen by the UNDP, ensuring that farmers receive the support they need to adapt to the changing climate and secure their agricultural future.
