Over the last 18 months, I have been observing (and documenting) the adaptation process taking place in four communities in Chiang Rai and Sakon Nakhon Provinces, Thailand, under the USAID Mekong Adaptation and Resilience to Climate Change (Mekong ARCC) project, implemented by IUCN Thailand.
Based on the scientific climate projections, we had some ideas of potential adaptation activities to be implemented, but it is only through the participatory process that these ideas turned into concrete actions.
Community-identified interventions
Loh Yo community in Chiang Rai Province identified diseases in livestock as one of their major climate threats, which is likely to be exacerbated by rising temperatures and more frequent heavy rainfall events. The community thus agreed that, among other things, introducing a more resistant breed of pig would increase their resilience in the face of climate change.
The community had some knowledge about local breeds of black pigs, and the project identified a local pig raising technique, called mu lum or pig pit, as particularly adapted to increase the resilience of the local community and the landscape in which they live.
Black pigs in Hae Ko village. Photo courtesy of IUCN/Ratkawee Boonmake. All rights reserved.
The mu lum not only presents several advantages over the traditional pig production system, but also addresses several climate threats identified by the project. First, the local breed of black pigs is strong, more resistant to disease and grows easily. Second, the pigs are raised on a bed of organic material to produce high quality compost and eliminate waste. The compost can be sold or used as organic fertilizer for agricultural crops to reduce the use of chemical fertilizer and increase the resilience of the agro-ecological landscape. Third, improved feed, and housing, coupled with vaccination, further increase the pigs’ health.
Rapid adoption
It was amazing to see how quickly Loh Yo villagers adopted the new technique. After a one-day visit and demonstration on mu lum, they immediately started building their new pig pens, which they finished in a day while we were still trying to get through all the administrative processes to purchase the pigs. It was not just the initial enthusiasm – the villagers have been taking great care of their pigs and after less than three months the first pigs are now ready for breeding.
While we still need to gain a better understanding of what makes adaptation initiatives successful, what works and what doesn’t, it appears that adaptation can happen very quickly when locally available knowledge and resources are used in a “no-regret” approach that enables the communities to strengthen and diversify their livelihoods regardless of future climate changes, but nevertheless keeping in mind scientific climate projections.
Angela Jöhl Cadena is a programme officer with IUCN Thailand.
Comments are closed.