Int'l Symposium Climate Smart Sustainable Rice-Wheat Production System

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Rice is a staple crop for more than half of the world's population and forms an essential part of the diet in most Asian countries including Pakistan, and it is responsible for 10% of global anthropogenic methane emissions each year. Methane emissions from rice production amount to 7.83 Mt CO2-eq per year for Pakistan. Climate change poses a serious threat to Pakistan's agriculture sector in Pakistan with a severe shortage of water affecting Rice. The per capita annual water availability in Pakistan has dropped to 1,017 cubic meters from 5300 in 1947 and may lead to absolute water scarcity by 2025 (UNDP 2016). This will result in severe water shortages for the next generation of farmers. Future water requirements and challenges seriously threaten Pakistan due to its agrarian economy where wheat and rice are primary food crops (Ahmad et al., 2019). There is an urgent need to develop innovative solutions for efficient and sustainable use of water, improving nutrient use efficiency, reduce crop losses from pests & diseases both pre & post-harvesting.

Scientists, industry experts, policy planners, early researchers, and students will be taking part in this climate-smart sustainable rice production symposium from Pakistan and across the globe. The symposium aims to highlight key challenges and opportunities faced by rice crops and which areas need further research and investigation to improve the effectiveness of sustainable agriculture practices. Research is required to address soil health, water management, crop residue management, fertilizer, pests & disease, and reducing post-harvest losses. The participants will be joining from Pakistan, the UK, USA, Thailand, Philippines, Oman, India, Bangladesh, and other countries to share their experiences.