Back to news
17 Mar 2015 | Atmosphere Initiative

Conference on alternatives to open agricultural burning

1 min Read

70% Complete

To discuss the extent to which open burning of agricultural residue and waste causes black carbon emissions and to explore mitigation options, a two-day long conference titled ‘Mitigation of Emissions from Open Agricultural Burning in the Wider Himalayan Region’ was held from 20 to 21 February in Kathmandu, Nepal. The event was jointly organized by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative (ICCI) with sponsorship from the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC).

During the conference, Dr Jessica McCarthy of Michigan Technological University presented the monthly maps of fire hotspots detected by the MODIS satellite sensors from 2003 and 2013. The maps show the location and timing of large agricultural fires.  Around the Himalayan region, burning is most prevalent in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Mongolia, Nepal, and Pakistan. Dr Arnico Panday from ICIMOD pointed out that while MODIS captures large fires under clear skies, it does not capture the small short-duration fires of piles of agricultural residue that are common across the HKH region.

In his presentation, Dr Svante Bodin from the ICCI stressed the importance of involving local communities in achieving environmental targets. He said that the CCAC scoping project in the Himalayan region would seek to “answer basic questions like where and when the burning take place, identify the crops that are being burned, the farmers’ reason/s for burning particular crops/lands, and possible alternatives.”

Experts from the region explored alternative methods and options to reduce open burning of the most common crops. They identified potential solutions such as conservation agriculture and other alternative agricultural practices, as well as the conversion of waste and residues to biogas, providing a local source of energy. Over 30 representatives of the scientific community, government officials, international organizations, farmers and farmer organizations, and other relevant experts in agriculture, air quality and health issues, adaptation and climate change participated in the conference.

Stay current

Stay up to date on what’s happening around the HKH with our most recent publications and find out how you can help by subscribing to our mailing list.

Sign Up

related contents

Continue exploring this topic

12 Jan 2015 News
International Mountain Day 2014 Celebrations in ICIMOD’s Member Countries

China On the occasion of International Mountain Day 2014, the Chinese Committee on International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (CNICIMOD) organized ...

19 Feb 2016 Gender in Koshi
What do youth have to do with women’s participation?

An age old question that plagues our society is: where are the women? In my recent field visit to Sinduli, ...

5 Mar 2018 REDD+
Melanesian Delegates Visit Nepal to Learn About REDD+ and Community Based Forest Management

Interactive sessions and presentations were conducted at ICIMOD and the REDD Implementation Centre (RIC). Face-to-face interactions with RIC government officials ...

22 May 2019 Atmosphere Initiative
Knowledge brokering and policy engagement through the CCAC to address atmospheric pollution

The CCAC is the first global effort to treat pollutants as a collective challenge. Formed in 2012, it is a ...

14 Aug 2017 News
21 Stakeholders Trained in the Essentials of Climate Change in Chitwan

Other than being catalogued and bound into thick journals to gather dust, what is the use of high-level climate change ...

13 Dec 2017 News
ICIMOD Provides Technical Support to Farmers during Agri-Flori Fair in Bhutan

ICIMOD shared a stall with the Bhutan Youth Cooperative (BYC) where they demonstrated bio-briquette technology and promoted the ICIMOD Knowledge ...

31 Jan 2020 Cryosphere
ICIMOD releases new improved MODIS snow data for High Mountain Asia

Snow is a significant component of the ecosystem and water resources in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH). Snow monitoring is ...

30 Nov 2015 News
Teaching the Basics of Glacier Monitoring

  As part of monitoring and assessment of changes in glaciers, snow and glacio-hydrology in the Hindu Kush Himalayas, the Cryosphere ...