Keynote presentation by Dr Reiner Wassmann, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) at CCAFS webinar 'Exploring GHG mitigation potential in rice production' on 18 September 2014.

1. Mitigation potential in rice production
Reiner Wassmann
Bjoern Ole Sander
International Rice Research Institute

2. Outline
• Background: Rice as a source of GHGs
• Possible Options for Mitigation in Rice
• Feasibility assessment for
Alternate-Wetting-and-Drying
• Outlook and Conclusion

3. Significance of Rice Fields for GHG budgets
Forestry,
17.4%
Rice, 1.5%
Agriculture
(w/o rice),
12.0%
(IPCC 4th AR, 2007)
All others ,
69.1%
Country
National Scale in Asia:
Emissions from rice
production
Percentage of total
Vietnam 24.8 %
Bangladesh 7.2 %
Colombia 0.8 %
Data from the most 2nd National
Communication of respective country

4. Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Rice
Nitrous Oxide
Emissions from
Fertilizer
Application
Methane emissions: 100 – 500 kg CH4/ ha season
=> 2 – 12 tCO2eq/ ha season

5. IRRI Climate Change projects since 1991

6. Capacity building

7. Outline
• Background: Rice as a source of GHGs
• Possible Options for Mitigation in Rice
• Feasibility assessment for
Alternate-Wetting-and-Drying
• Outlook and Conclusion

8. Impact of Mid-season Drainage
on Methane Emissions
water level (cm) / line Eh (mV) / dots
100
0
Continuous Flooding -100
Mid-season Drainage
-200
water level (cm) / line Eh (mV) / dots
30
20
10
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
Days after planting
30
20
10
0
20 40 60 80 100 120
-300
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
methane emission (mg CH4 m-2 d-1)
20 40 60 80 100 120
0
20 40 60 80 100 120
100
0
-100
-200
-300
0
methane emission (mg CH4 m-2 d-1)
20 40 60 80 100 120
Field experiment at Hangzhou, China (Wassmann et al., 2000)

9. Alternate-Wetting-and-Drying (AWD)
• Irrigation water saving technique: drainage
and re-flooding

10. AWD Experiment in Central Vietnam
Rice,
Maize,
Peanut...
Rice,
Maize…
Ha Noi
HCM City
Minh et al. (in prep.)

11. Results from Field Measurements
Measured Data
supplied
by Hoa et al.
Delta Lowland
8.0
7.0
6.0
5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110
DAT
kg CH4/ha/day
CF Measured
CF Simulated
AWD Measured
AWD Simulated
Hilly Midland
0.0
20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110
DAT
kg CH4/ha/day
CF Measured
CF Simulated
AWD Measured
AWD Simulated

12. New Policy on Mitigation in Agricultural Sector in VN
From national level…
to implementation at provincial level.
Farmers should use/apply
AWD irrigation technology to
not only greatly save water
consumption and reduce
GHGs emissions in irrigated
rice fields, but also increase
rice productivity.
20-20-20
Decision
AWD is directly mentioned as one
mitigation option by Ministry of
Agriculture

13. Mitigation through Optimized
Fertilizer Applications
Farmers need to know
• Correct timing…
• Correct amounts…
• Correct sources…
… of fertilizer applications
Rice fields are typically
small and can substantially
differ from each other

14. Operation of Mobile Phone App
Provide
management
recommen-dation
Cloud based server
Rice Crop Manager
• Nutrients
• Weeds
• Irrigation
• ….
Obtain site-specific
information from
farmer/ operator
New Modules
• GHG emission
calculator
• Climate-adjusted
yield targets
Climate-Informed Rice Crop and Low Emission Manager
=> CIRCLE Manager

15. Outline
• Background: Rice as a source of GHGs
• Possible Options for Mitigation in Rice
• Suitability assessment for
Alternate-Wetting-and-Drying
• Outlook and Conclusion

16. AWD projects in the Philippines (Central Luzon)
Angat Irrigation
(AMRIS): B1; B2

17. Climatic AWD Suitability: Water Balance
Rainfall (Rf) Potential Evapo-transpiration
(pot_ET)
Potential Seepage&
Percolation (pot_S&P)
Rf pot_ET
pot_S&P

18. Climatic AWD Suitability of Central Luzon

19. Infra-structural AWD Suitability:
Irrigation Specifics
Methane emission reductions through AWD (vs. Continuous Flooding)
10
8
6
4
2
0
CF AWD
t CO2-eq/ha*season
B1 -77%
Pump irrigation
operated by
farmer association
10
8
6
4
2
0
CF AWD
t CO2-eq/ha*season
T
-70%
Pump irrigation
operated by
irrigation authority
Very suitable
for AWD
Very suitable
for AWD

20. Infra-structual AWD Suitability:
Methane emission reductions through AWD (vs. Continuous Flooding)
10
8
6
4
2
0
CF AWD
t CO2-eq/ha*season
B2
-66%
10
8
6
4
2
0
CF AWD
t CO2-eq/ha*season
N1 -65%
Irrigation Specifics
Canal irrigation
(motivated
farmers)
Canal irrigation
with imposed
AWD
Canal irrigation
(non-motivated
farmers)
Very suitable
for AWD
Very suitable
for AWD
Not suitable
for AWD
10
8
6
4
2
0
CF AWD
t CO2-eq/ha*season
N2 -5%

21. Introducing AWD

22. Lessons learned in case studies
• Stress the co-benefits of AWD (such as stronger
lodging resistance) to motivate farmers to adopt
• Focus on ‘tail-end’ farmers to showcase the
feasibility of AWD
• Offer alternative irrigation options -- from single
drainage to full AWD
• Try to identify local ‘champions’ for technology
adoption
• Include irrigation authorities right from the onset
of the project

23. Assist in Carbon Crediting?
Small Scale Methodology Approved by UNFCCC (May 2011):
“Methane emission
reduction by adjusted
water management in rice”
http://cdm.unfccc.int/methodologies/DB/D6MRRHNNU5RUHJXWKHN87IUXW5F5N0/view.html

24. CDM Pipeline
Project
Developer
Project
Proposal
Project
Developer
Designated
Nat. Auth.
Project
Design
Docum.
Letter of
‘no objection’
Designated
Operating
Entity #1
Validation
Report
Designated
Nat. Auth.
Approved
Methodology
Letter of
approval
CDM
Executive
Board
Project
Regis-tration
Certified
Emission
Reduction
Project
Developer
Monitoring
Report
Designated
Operating
Entity #2
Verification
Report
CDM
Executive
Board
Project
Design
Project
Implementation
and
Monitoring

25. Methodology AMS-III.AU.
Version 3.0 (since 03 Aug. 2012)
Example:
• AWD in dry season
• Multiple aeration (1.8 kg ha/d)
• 100 d period
 180 kg CH4/ ha season
= 3.78 t CO2 eq/ ha season
 @ 0.50 $/ t CO2 eq.
= < 2 $/ ha season

26. Good Agricultural Practice
(GAP) Guidelines
Vietnam
Mot Phai/
Nam Giam
(1 Must Do/
5 Reductions)
Philippines
Palay
Check
Examples:

27. Outline
• Background: Rice as a source of GHGs
• Possible Options for Mitigation in Rice
• Feasibility assessment for
Alternate-Wetting-and-Drying
• Outlook and Conclusion

28. New Project:
“Mitigation Options to
Reduce Methane
Emissions in Paddy Rice”
CCAC:
• Partnership of governments, inter-governmental
organizations, private sector (40 governments,
53 non-state entities)
• Mission: Fight global warming and improve human
health
• Focus on SLCP (short-lived climate pollutants)
• Operates under UNEP

29. CCAC initiatives
3 components
• Open Agricultural Burning
• Livestock/ Manure Management
• Paddy Rice Production

30. New Project:
“Mitigation Options to
Reduce Methane
Emissions in Paddy Rice”
Overall Objective:
Road maps for implementing replicable
and scalable mitigation options focussing
on AWD in 3 target countries:
Vietnam
Bangladesh
Colombia

31. New Project:
“Mitigation Options to
Reduce Methane
Emissions in Paddy Rice”
Specific Objectives:
1) Improved information platforms
2) National networks, enhanced capacity
and plans
3) Pilot studies in areas with AWD
experience for extracting ‘lessons learnt’

32. Conclusions
Policy makers are getting increasingly
interested to integrate mitigation into
development targets
… BUT …
different stakeholders will need
diversified information packages and
decision support tools

33. Conclusions
Scientific findings and publications will
NOT be sufficient as such to stimulate
mitigation
… BUT …
should be translated into clear spatial
and temporal priorities at different
scales

34. Thank you