Main GHGs from agricultural lands are CH4 and N2O GHG emission can be reduced by 60 % in 2050 through: Removal of rice straws and through good management practices in paddy fields Use alternatives to chemical fertilizer CH4 reduction from livestock by improving feed quality and animal comfort Reduce N2O emission in soils Enhance C sequestration in paddy and rainfed uplands through ‘Evergreen Agro-ecosystem’ concept Carbon stock in agricultural lands can be enhanced by improving land management practices C sequestration in tea lands can be increased through: Agro-ecosystem approach; Crop diversification; Intercropping; Introduction of shade trees with optimum density; and Rehabilitation of old tea lands C stock can be increased by 267 % by the year 2050 through Home Garden Intensification If the proposed mitigation actions are implemented, the country will be able to achieve Net Zero by 2038.

2. why should we worry about climate change?

3. State of the Climate in 2018 shows accelerating
climate change impacts
821 million people undernourished
Another 2
million people
displaced
Global ocean
oxygen
decreasing
883,000 internal
displacements (32% floods,
29 % droughts)
+1600 deaths (heat waves and
wildfire)
Peat land
ecosystems
threatened
Oceans acidified
+35 milllion people affected
by floods

4. Agriculture Sector
OUTGOING
GHGs
INCOMING C
Reduce GHG emission and enhance carbon sequestration

5. The concept of net zero was taken up through the 5th Assessment
Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) Structured Expert Dialogue, culminating in Article 4of
the 2015 Paris Agreement.

6. Power of Green House Gases
6

7. Enteric
fermentation
(26.6%)
Manure
Management
(3.9 %)
Cultivation of
Organic soils
(16.1 %)
Rice
Cultivation
(52.4 %)
Burning of Crop
Residues(1.0 %)
GHG emission from Agriculture in Sri Lanka (2015)
25 %

8. Main GHGs from Agriculture (Highest to lowest)
• CH4 from paddy fields
• CH4 from enteric fermentation,
• N20 from soils,
• N20 + CH4 from manure,
• N20 from indirect emissions.
• The figure also shows absorption of CO2 from the atmosphere by
soils in approximately the scale of emissions by manure and
indirect emission.

9. Contribution to GHG Emission
30.5 %
Enteric Fermentation
Livestock
Paddy and
Organic
soils
69.5 %
60.5 %
3.9 %
CH4 CO2 N2O
35.5 %
93.2 %
5.2 %
CH4 CO2 N2O
1.6 %
25 %

10. Manure
management
Urea application
Baseline Scenario – based on population and GDP
Field biomass burning
Baseline Scenario – These curves were fixed considering GDP and
population change as baseline scenario. Two exceptional lowering of
emissions was observed in the year 2014 and 2016 and according to DOA
it was due to the impacts of an El Nino condition prevailed in Sri Lanka.

11. GHG type GHG Emission Reduction (CO2 eq ‘000 Mt) %
2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
CO2 53 75 95 114 131 146 159 8
CH4 462 681 890 1082 1257 1412 1539 77
N2O 109 145 184 217 248 274 296 15
Total GHG 623 900 1169 1413 1636 1832 1994
2050 Carbon Net Zero Road Map
Targets for reduction of emissions from the
agriculture and livestock activities

12. Scenario Development
• NDC 2030 scenario extended to 2050 – The GHG
reduction curve established on the assumption that the
mitigation strategies mentioned in 2030 report are
adopted continuously up to 2050.
• Improved version – This scenario is recommended by
this report including following additional changes:
i. In livestock sector all cattle population and goat and
sheep populations were included
ii. A strategy was included to remove paddy straw from all
types of paddy fields
This improvement could further reduce GHG emission
down to 61 %.

13. 30 %
60 %
Baseline
NDC 2030 extended
to 2050
Improved scenario
GHG reduction by 2050
NDC extended = 1737 CO2 eq ‘000 Mt
Further improved = 1994 CO2 eq ‘000 Mt

14. GHG emission reduction
1. Reduce methane emission from paddy fields by removing
rice straws and through good management practices
2. Use alternatives to Chemical fertilizer for reducing N2O
emission
3. Reduce methane emission from livestock by improving
feed quality and animal comfort
4. Reduce N2O emission in soils due to microbial activities
Carbon sequestration increase
5. Adopt ‘evergreen agro-ecosystem concept’ to improve
carbon sequestration from paddy fields and rainfed uplands
Following strategies are also possible to include in future
planning when information is available to do so
6. Improve land management practices in agricultural lands to
enhance the carbon stock in the soil
7. Improve crop management practices in tea plantations
Feasible Strategies to reduce GHG
emission

15. Paddy lands
Livestock
Direct/ Indirect N2O

16. i. Removal of paddy straw from the paddy field for manufacturing
paper, boards and packaging materials and producing biofuel
blocks.
ii. Reduce post-harvest losses during harvesting and transport to
minimize GHG emission from transport and agricultural product
residues
iii. Establish subsistence and/or polyculture farming to maintain
healthier soils
iv. Introduce to Good Agricultural Practices (GAP scheme) to all
farmers. GAP certification is required to ensure food quality and
safety. Introduce insect proof nets to control pests
v. Introduce predators for pest control and practice biological
control of pests
vi. Cultivate on time and adopt a common time frame in one agro-
ecological sub zone
vii. Promote diverse cropping systems and a need-based economy
Strategy 1. Reduce methane emission from paddy fields by
removing rice straws and through good management practices

17. viii.Addition of rice straw-derived biochar to lower methane emissions
in increased temperature and carbon dioxide conditions, congruent
with future climates.
ix. Responsible water management such as slower infiltration
techniques, breaking up of soil aggregates or alternate wetting and
drying (AWD)
x. Policy initiatives to encourage sustainable farming practices and
address current subsidies. (Durbin, 2017)
xi. Promote rice production in upland areas, in which the fields are
not maintained in flooded conditions, generates substantially less
methane per hectare and per unit of rice.
xii. Adaptation of good management practices for soil and water
management particularly large in areas where two or three crops of
rice are produced each year.(Wichelns, 2016).
Strategy 1. Reduce methane emission from paddy fields by
removing rice straws and through good management practices

18. i. Introduce soil testing facilities to promote straight fertilizer method to
avoid excess use of chemical fertilizer
ii. Integration with organic fertilizers (Organic Farming), Promote liquid
and organic fertilizers to minimize the use of chemical fertilizers
iii. Promote slow/controlled N-releasing fertilizers and increase their
effectiveness
iv. Deep placement and reduction of frequency of application of N
fertilizer,
v. Use of N transformation inhibitors to scale back the hydrolysis of urea
to ammonium by soil urease enzyme.
vi. The use of nitrification inhibitors to scale back the accumulation of
nitrate also will help to reduce GHG emissions.
vii. Adjust fertilizer rates to coincide with plant needs;
viii. Place fertilizer near plant roots (but not too deep in the soil);
ix. Apply fertilizer several times each year, rather than only once;
x. Adopt IPNS (Integrated Plant Nutrition System) approach
xi. Adopt Climate Smart Agriculture (World Bank & CIAT, 2015)
Strategy 2. Use alternatives to Chemical fertilizer for
reducing N2O emission

19. • Supplement with fodder trees, rice straw, and low-cost
concentrate. – Here, lower CH4 observed with legumes
is attributed to lower fiber content and faster rate of
passage of feed through the rumen; thus, intakes are
higher with legume forages.
• Use of total mixed ratio – improves productivity and
reduces methane emissions
• Supplement forage diet with Gliricidia blocks-
Promotes high dry matter intake and has a faster rate of
passage through the rumen and reduction of CH4
• Animal comfort (heat stress management)- Enhanced
animal productivity and reduced GHG emission
intensity.
Strategy 3. Reduce methane emission from livestock by
improving feed quality and animal comfort

20. 1. Manure management in soils
• Measures to reduce livestock urinary nitrogen
– breeding animals for improved N
efficiency
– using forages that have a higher energy-
to-protein ratio
– balancing high protein forages with high-
energy supplements.
• Reducing GHG emissions from livestock
manure
– manure stockpile aeration and composting
– adding urease inhibitors to manure
stockpiles
• Using manure to capture and use methane on-
farm
– biogas (methane) capture-and-use
systems,
Strategy 4. Reduce N2O emission in soils due to microbial activities

21. 2. Crop residue
management in
agricultural
fields
3. Management of
organic soils to
minimize N2O
emissions
Strategy 4. Reduce N2O emission in soils due to
microbial activities

22. • Cultivation of crops with different duration to keep green cover even
during the harvesting stage of one crop;
• Cultivation of crops leaving zero fallow period of the land;
• Farming models, which combine seasonal, semi-perennial and perennial
crops ensuring the green cover around the year;
• Green manure plants such as gliricidia, adathoda, erithrina, thespesia etc.
are grown as hedges with strict frequency of pruning;
• Shade management is adopted to minimize light competition and to
maintain the crop land with evergreen situation;
• Live fence is maintained with plants to create a stratification enabling to
act as wind barrier as well as favourable micro-climate in the crop field;
and
• The farmer should have a field management / self-evaluation schedule
for his convenience to ensure the sustainability of the agro-ecosystem
Strategy 5. Adopt ‘evergreen agro-ecosystem concept’
to improve carbon sequestration from paddy fields and
rain-fed uplands

23. Example for an ‘Evergreen Agro-ecosystem’ for paddy
lands and rainfed farming lands

24. Species % N % P % K
Gliricidia 4.6 0.2 1.45 – 2.95
Adathoda 5.04 0.13 3.00 – 4.50
Citronella 4.5 0.5 – 0.9 2.0 – 4.5
Wild Sunflower 4.70 0.40 2.15 – 4.20
Erythrina 5.21 0.32 0.92 – 2.88
Azolla 4 - 5 0.9 2.0 – 4.5
Water Hyacinth 2.56 1.70 1.57 – 2.58
Thespesia 3.4 0.3 2.3
Nutrient Composition of
Green Manure Plants

25. • Minimize tillage operations.
• Restore degraded land, improving pasture
management.
• Reduce fallow periods.
• Add animal manures to the soil.
• Crop residue management.
• Use legumes and/or grasses in crop rotations.
• Convert marginal cropland to perennial grass or
agroforestry systems.
• Use rotational grazing and high-intensity/short-
duration grazing.
• Plant shrubs and trees as shelterbelts.
• Restore wetlands.
Strategy 6. Improve land management practices in
agricultural lands to enhance the carbon stock in the soil

26. Low
country
Mid
country
Up
country
Uva Total
C sequestration
(Kg/ha/year)
6659 3497 2344 5085 -
Land extent (ha) 13,883 6,358 35,432 25,919 81,592
C sequestration KT/
year
92,447 22,234 83,053 131,798 329,532
Strategy 7. Improve crop management practices in tea plantations
Strategies for increasing C sequestration in tea lands
• Agro-ecosystem approach for tea lands
• Crop diversification in tea lands
• Intercropping in tea lands
• Introduction of shade trees with optimum density
• Rehabilitation of old tea lands

27. Target for Home Garden C stock improvement
C storing rate (C ‘000 MT/ha)
Maximum Mean Minimum
Dry Zone 55 35 10
Intermediate zone 100 61 29
Wet zone 145 87 48
Source: Eskil Mattsson, Madelene Ostwald, S. P. Nissanka, and Buddhi Marambe, 2013.
Home gardens as a Multi-functional Land-Use Strategy in Sri Lanka with Focus on Carbon
Sequestration
C stock (C million MT)
Maximum Mean Minimum
Dry Zone 23998 15272 4363
Intermediate zone 18719 11419 5429
Wet zone 31877 19126 10553

28. Targets for Carbon Stock Improvement in Home Gardens
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
35000
2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050 2055
C
Million
MT
Year

29. Home garden intensification
Climate
zone
HG extent
(ha)
2021 C stock
(Mil. MT)
2030 target
(Mil. MT)
2050 target
(Mil. MT)
Dry zone 436,328 4,363 15,272 23,998
Wet zone 219,843 10,553 19,125 31,877
Intermediate
zone
187,190 5,429 11,419 18,719
Total 843,361 20,345 45,816 74,594
C stock can be increased by 267 % by the year 2050
through Home Garden Intensification

30. -30,000
-20,000
-10,000
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
2025
2026
2027
2028
2029
2030
2031
2032
2033
2034
2035
2036
2037
2038
2039
2040
2041
2042
2043
2044
2045
2046
2047
2048
2049
2050
GHG
emissions
and
Sequestrations
in
000'
tonnes
CO2e
Year
Final Carbon Net Zero Balance
Forestry - Sequestration Energy Transport
Industry Waste Agriculture
Forestry Net Emissions
• The calculations showed that in the Mitigation (Net Zero) scenario, where
the proposed mitigation actions are implemented, by 2050, the country will
be able to achieve Net Zero by 2038.
• By 2050, there will be a net carbon emission quantity of - 7.3 million
tonnes per year (sequestration), resulting from a total emissions quantity of
13.7 million tonnes/year, while the expected sequestration would amount to
21.0 million tonnes/year

31. SUMMARY
• Main GHGs from agricultural lands are CH4 and N2O
• GHG emission can be reduced by 60 % in 2050 through:
– Removal of rice straws and through good management practices in paddy fields
– Use alternatives to chemical fertilizer
– CH4 reduction from livestock by improving feed quality and animal comfort
– Reduce N2O emission in soils
• Enhance C sequestration in paddy and rainfed uplands through ‘Evergreen Agro-
ecosystem’ concept
• Carbon stock in agricultural lands can be enhanced by improving land management
practices
• C sequestration in tea lands can be increased through: Agro-ecosystem approach;
Crop diversification; Intercropping; Introduction of shade trees with optimum
density; and Rehabilitation of old tea lands
• C stock can be increased by 267 % by the year 2050 through Home Garden
Intensification
• If the proposed mitigation actions are implemented, the country will be able to
achieve Net Zero by 2038.