Impatti, adattamento e vulnerabilita Le cause e le responsabilita dei cambiamenti climatici sono state trattate sul numero di ottobre della rivista Cda. Approfondiamo l’argomento presentando il documento: “Cambiamenti climatici 2007: impatti, adattamento e vulnerabilita” votato ad aprile 2007 dal secondo gruppo di lavoro del Comitato Intergovernativo sui Cambiamenti Climatici (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). Si tratta del secondo di tre documenti che compongono il quarto rapporto sui cambiamenti climatici.

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Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability.

▶ Addresses a wide range of timely environment, economic and energy topics ▶ A forum to review, analyze and stimulate the development, testing and implementation of mitigation and adaptation strategies at regional, national and global scales ▶ Contributes to real-time policy analysis and development as national and international policies and agreements are discussed and promulgated ▶ 94% of authors who answered a survey reported that they would definitely publish or probably publish in the journal again

Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change

The origin of plant cell and tissue culture can be found in a treatise published during the mid-18th century, entitled La Physique des Arbes, that describes the formation of callus tissue following the for mation of a ring of cortex from elm trees. Over the next two centuries, the discovery of plant growth hormones, in particular auxins and cytokinins, and detailed analyses on the nutritional requirements of plants, led to the formulation of media that could maintain actively dividing cultures derived from gymnosperms, and both dicotyledon ous and monocotyledonous angiosperms. However, much of the prog ress and technological development in the in vitro propagation of plant cells, tissues, and organs has occurred during the last 25 years. Recently, plant tissue culture techniques have been used as basic tools in the rapidly expanding field of plant biotechnology for the development and clonal propagation of new and/or improved plant varieties. Plant tissue culture is used for the micropropagation of commercially valuable cultivars that include ornamentals, oil palm, Glycyrrhiza, Pyrethrum, pine, Eucalyptus, sugar cane, and potatoes. Cultured plant tissue is also used for the selection of cells and, ul timately, the regeneration of plants that are tolerant to physical stresses such as pathogens, drought, and temperature extremes, and to chemical stress agents such as salinity, herbicides, proteins, and pyrethrins. In addition, new plants have been produced by the fusion of protoplasts prepared from cultured cells of different species in cluding sunflower and french bean, tomato and potato, and various cultivars of Datura. Finally, bacterial vectors and various mechanical methods have been used to introduce foreign genes into cultured plant tissues. Genetic transformation can result in profound changes in the phenotype and/or biochemical profile of the regenerated trans genic plants that are not characteristic of the wild type. An impressive variety of technologies in tissue culture, genetic manipulation, and molecular biology have been developed for nu merous plant species. Many of these techniques, sometimes referred to as plant biotechnology, have been extensively summarized and compiled in a well-balanced collection of easy-to-follow protocols presented in three separate, but complimentary, volumes. Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture consists of 22 chapters (with 86 figures) and 5 appendices. The chapters cover critical aspects of (a) the es sential requirements for the operation of a plant tissue culture lab oratory; (b) the basic procedures of micropropagation, regeneration, and somatic embryogenesis; (c) some specific applications of organ culture systems such as embryo rescue and culture, and anther and microspore culture for haploid and double haploid production; (d) elementary transformation technology; and (e) useful microtechnique and analytical protocols specifically adapted to cultured tissues and cells. The appendices provide a convenient summary of media for mulations and commercial suppliers for the materials described in the text.

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Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture

Keynote address by Dr Astrid N. Heiberg President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

This paper reviews and discusses how studies on (i) on-farm diversity assessment, (ii) access to diversity and information, (iii) extent of use of available materials and information, and (iv) benefits obtained by the farmer or farming community from their use of local crop diversity, are necessary to identify the different ways of supporting farmers and farming communities in the maintenance of traditional varieties and crop genetic diversity within their production systems. Throughout this paper two key themes are emphasized. First, any description or analysis within the four main areas (assessment, access, use and benefit) can, and most probably will, lead to a number of different actions. Second, the decision to implement a particular action, and therefore its success, will depend on farmers and the farming community having the knowledge and leadership capacity to evaluate the benefits that this action will have for them. This in turn emphasizes the importance of activities (whether by local, national...

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/07352689.2011.554358

An Heuristic Framework for Identifying Multiple Ways of Supporting the Conservation and Use of Traditional Crop Varieties within the Agricultural Production System

This paper brings out perceptions and observations of Tharu communities (Rana and Chaudhary), inhabitants of Shakarpur VDC of Kanchanpur and Gadariya VDCs of Kailali on climate change and its impacts on their livelihood strategies over the years. In addition, the paper explores some initiatives taken by the local communities to minimize its effects and impacts. Focus Group Discussions (FGD) were organized to collect and analyze vulnerability contexts on climate change and its impact on various sectors like, agriculture, forest, livestock, biodiversity, infrastructure, human casualties and water sources. Similarly, information on available service providers and their contribution was garnered through secondary sources. Local communities are facing these changes over the time and adapting strategies as per their own traditional knowledge, skills and information. Most of these strategies are biodiversity friendly, economically viable and socially acceptable. However, these innovative steps should be shared for larger scale dissemination after validating with scientific review and justifications.
		
			 
		
			Key words: Tharu community, climate change, adaptation, perception, innovation.

Tharu community's perception on climate changes and their adaptive initiations to withstand its impacts in Western Terai of Nepal

The severity of climate change impacts is observable and devastating at the local level, especially among the poor and ethnic people settled in the marginal and ecologically fragile areas, because of their least adaptive capacities and resilience. Thus, it is crucial to understand the local climatic risks, vulnerabilities and adaptive capacities to develop appropriate coping and adaptation strategies. However, the reliable climate data and information are not available at local level because of few meteorological stations. Therefore, this study has concentrated on participatory approaches to assess and analyze the climate vulnerabilities and impacts, needs and priorities of the community in Madi valley of Chitwan district. The study has applied participatory tools in the focus group discussions in the valley with a total of 112 participants. The communities in the study site observed flood, drought and riverbank erosion are the most severe climatic threats to them with different intensities based ...

Participatory vulnerability assessment of climate vulnerabilities and impacts in Madi Valley of Chitwan district, Nepal

We explore and analyse the perceptions and influences of local stakeholders on climate adaptation in 2 valleys of Nepal through a questionnaire survey. Altogether 24 and 21 local stakeholders were ...

Exploring perceptions and influences of local stakeholders on climate change adaptation in Central and Western Tarai, Nepal

The community seed bank (CSB) is emerged as an effective rural institution at the community level to strengthen farmers’ access to diversity of crop genetic resources as well as seeds that contribute to local food security for poor farmers and also to ensure the conservation of agro-biodiversity on-farm. This paper presents some evidences from the community of western Nepal to demonstrate that CSB is one of the options to conserve and use agro-biodiversity on farm. Biodiversity Conservation and Development Committees (BCDCs) and farmers have established six CSBs in western terai with the support of Agrobiodiversity component of Western Terai Landscape Complex Project (WTLCP-ABD) in Bardia (1 CSB), Kanchanpur (2 CSBs) and Kailali (3 CSBs) districts. These CSBs are functional with prearranged community developed mechanisms for collection, conservation, replication and distribution of seeds. Communities have collected and conserved 88 (Belwa), 77 (Beldandi), 99 (Gadariya), 78 (Masuriya), 76 (Patharaiya) and 82 (Shankarpur) number of accessions of different crops in CSBs. CSB enhanced farmer’s seed system and strengthened social networks for exchange of seeds to cope with impacts of climatic adversity by providing immediate access to locally adapted germplasm as community based adaptation strategy. CSB is becoming a reliable local adaptation practice that minimizes the potential negative impacts of climate change in addition to accessibility, conservation and use of genetic resources in western terai of Nepal. The Journal of Agriculture and Environment Vol:12, Jun.2011, Page 132-139 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/aej.v12i0.7573

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Enhancing On-Farm Conservation Of Agro-Biodiversity Through Community Seed Bank: An Experience Of Western Nepal

Adaptation is undeniably crucial to address the complex issues and impacts of climate change at all levels in Nepal. The favorable policies and adaptive capacities of the communities are equally important to adapt to the climatic risks and hazards. The policies such as NAPA, national climate change policy and LAPA have been formulated in Nepal to address these climatic risks and hazards at national and local levels. Correspondingly, the communities and institutions are also adapting through their own efforts and initiatives. These institutions have contributed vital roles in policy formulation and effective implementation of adaptation plans and strategies as guided by NAPA and LAPA. This review paper has explored and analyzed the climate policies in Nepal, strengths and gaps in such policies, roles of local institutions in the policy formulation and effective implementation of adaptation plans and strategies. It has reviewed and analyzed the existing literature relating to climate change policies and adaptation plans and strategies. The paper highlights the climate policies, followed by roles of institutions in effective adaptation and the analysis of climate change adaptations especially focusing on mobility, storage, livelihood diversification, communal pooling and market exchange.

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Shree Kumar Maharjan

Papers

Tharu community's perception on climate changes and their adaptive initiations to withstand its impacts in Western Terai of Nepal

Participatory vulnerability assessment of climate vulnerabilities and impacts in Madi Valley of Chitwan district, Nepal

Exploring perceptions and influences of local stakeholders on climate change adaptation in Central and Western Tarai, Nepal

Enhancing On-Farm Conservation Of Agro-Biodiversity Through Community Seed Bank: An Experience Of Western Nepal

Review of Climate Policies and Roles of Institutions in the Policy Formulation and Implementation of Adaptation Plans and Strategies in Nepal