On August 22, 2024, the SRI Global Research Network started a new series of webinars on the role of the SRI in answering the challenges of climate change. The Webinar entitled “Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Mitigation with the System of Rice Intensification SRI” “, shared insights by two keynote speakers such as Chusnul Arif from IPB University and James Dahlgreen from SRI-2030.
Chusnul Arif initiated the session with a comprehensive analysis of water management in SRI paddy fields and how SRI could effectively cut down greenhouse gas emissions. He based his presentation on how effective water management is for reducing the environmental impacts of rice cultivation.
Arif was followed by James Dahlgreen, who gave a wider perspective on the contribution of SRI to tackling climate change at the global scale. He emphasized that top-down interventions at the level of policy support and international collaboration were needed for the upscale of SRI practices globally. According to him, SRI should be a part of the global approach toward abatement of greenhouse gas emissions on account of its proven environmental benefits.
Moderated by Francesco C. Zampaolo, it was not a webinar that only discussed the critical role of SRI for sustainable agriculture but also provided practical insights that could be adopted by researchers, policymakers, and practitioners interested in applying such techniques in their respective regions.
That was, in fact, the very first in a series of promising discussions with the view to deepening the understanding of SRI practices in most parts of the world. Those who missed the live discussion should feel free to go and see the full recording on Youtube. That is a good resource for those committed to the advancement of sustainable agricultural practice, combing climate change through innovative methods such as SRI.
