Weather Issues and Agriculture in Malaysia
(Rabail Gandahi, hyderabad)
Globally, the GHG emissions has
raised temperature and increase in temperature between 1990 and 2100 would be
1.4°C to 5.8°C. In the Third Assessment Report of IPCC (2001) it is estimated
that the average global temperature is likely to rise by between 0.3ºC and 1.3ºC
during the next 30 years (Zwiers, 2002). The GHG emissions and ultimate rise in
temperature from 0.3 to 4.5 °C will cause rise in sea level by about 95 cm over
hundred periods.
The climate change is affecting on rice yields, especially in South and
Southeast Asia. Á 1% increase in temperature may decrease 3.44% in rice yield,
followed by 0.03% decrease in rice yield in the following season. In the present
scenario, the temperature above 25 °C may decline grain mass of 4.4% per 1°C
rise (Tashiro and Wardlaw, 1989). The average temperature in rice growing areas
in Malaysia is about 26°C average rice yields in Malaysia ranges between 3 to 5
tons ha-1 and decline in rice yield could be between 4.6 to 6.1% per 1°C
temperature increases at present CO2 level. However, doubling of CO2
concentration (from present level 340 ppm to 680 ppm) may offset the detrimental
effect of 4 °C temperature increase on rice production in Malaysia. Recently,
Alam et al. (2010a) reported that increase of 1% in temperature is leading 3.44%
decrease in current rice yield and 0.03% reduction in next season rice yield.