Global change scenario: current and future with reference to land cover changes and sustainable agriculture- South and South-East Asian context

Abstract

Though the global change-change in land cover, land use, atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases, loss of biodiversity and many related processes today-has enormous dimensions, this is the result of changes at micro-level, i.e. the village, small towns and higher order as a result of 'development'. Therefore, the corrective action or mitigation strategy should start at that level. There has been almost no change in forest cover in South and South-East Asia between 1978 and 1993. The important driving forces for land cover change are population, affluence and technology. While the developing countries have been attempting to define poverty, no effort has been made to define affluence, and also the responsibility of the affluent sections of the society towards local, regional and global change. The improved technology of crop production, particularly of wheat and rice, has resulted in saving 160 mha of land since 1961-62 in South and South-East Asia. New problems of sustainability of rice-wheat cropping system, groundwater pollution, reduced emphasis on nutritious grains (coarse grains) and stagnation in research on crop improvement have emerged. The regional cooperation and action points are suggested for meeting the new challenges.