[Terrapreta] Charcoal Making - Community adaptation to climate change

[Saibhaskar Nakka]

Dear All,

I had been following terrapreta discussions, which are very interesting.

Regarding whether to make charcoal or not I would like to share an
interesting story (link : http://e-charcoalmaking.blogspot.com/) of
communities decision and the circumstances from a remote village called *Kothur
(meaning new village) *located in the semi-arid environment of the interior
peninsular India. This village in the past was well known for paddy
cultivation, there used to be abundant water available year round and in the
milieu of the village and hence attracted the cranes and egrets. Especially
during and after the rainy season all the trees in the village were occupied
by the birds and their nests. Then this village was popularly called
as *'Kongala
Kothur'* or Kothur with cranes. People also strongly believed that if the
cranes have not appeared, there will be less rainfall in that year.

Due to climate change and variability the rainfall has come down from over
800mm to less than 600 mm in the last 50 years. As a result the traditional
paddy cultivation area has come down, and people started more and more
dependant on the meager groundwater resources. The present scenario is
unimaginable and contrasting; most of the paddy growing fields are left
fallow and the soils have turned saline / alkaline. In these soils *Prosopis
Juliflora (a native thorny arid plant species /
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosopis) *is growing abundantly. This an
exotic species is seen in this parts only since past 30 years. Now we can
see a sea of *Prosopis Juliflore** *covering more than 30% of the open and
cultivable fallows.

This present situation is the result of Climate Change and Human
interventions. In the summer of year 2005 when I first visited this village,
I could see heaps of Prosopis Juliflora was being converted into Charcoal.
The people from a far of coastal area having seen the abundant Prosopis in
this area have migrated to this area and started making Charcoal with the
support of local people. Soon local people have also learnt the art of
charcoal making and are able to cope with the recurring drought conditions
prevailing in this area. This adaptation method could arrest migration of
people to some extant, other wise this District is well known for migration
of people to far of places.

I was thinking about different solutions, to help people to uproot this
species and replace it with other useful species. But in the year 2006 there
was drought in this part of the district. People have not sown any seeds and
I was imagining mass exodus of people from this village to other parts for
work. To my surprise, when I visited this village again during the peak of
drought, none of the people have migrated. And they were very happy too.

The secret is that because of unprecedented demand for *Prosopis
Juliflora*wood and charcoal from Industries and urban areas. They were
earning 2 to 4
times more by cutting Prosopis Juliflora, than what they were getting from
their regular agriculture work. Within no time about 30 % of the Prosopis
Juliflora was harvested. I never imagined this kind of situation. Even the
people who have left their lands fallow, were also benefited by getting
about 10% of the total earnings.

The Climate change, energy crisis, new energy demands, and the adaptations
by communities to the changes is a reality.

This is the new situation happened in this remote part only in the last 10
years. Still Charcoal making has become very popular and number of kilns are
increasing every year. At last I am not sure whether to encourage community
to continue to make charcoal or slowly replace Prosopis Juliflora species
with other useful horticulture crops. I have presently planned the later.
This case study stands as tip of an iceberg for the changes that would
happen in the environment very fast, due to climate change, energy crisis
and other human factors.
Please follow the link below for photographs, location of the village and
the above story
http://e-charcoalmaking.blogspot.com/

-- 
Dr. N. Sai Bhaskar Reddy
Mobile No. 9246352018
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: /pipermail/terrapreta_bioenergylists.org/attachments/20070430/a7c6628e/attachment.html