Agrometeorology in Extreme Events and Natural Disasters

Contents: 1. Agrometeorology in Extreme Events and Natural Disasters An Overview. 2. Drought and Desertification. 3. Irrigation Scheduling to Combat Moisture Deficit in Plants. 4. Heavy Rains Floods Hail and Snow and their Impact on Agriculture. 5. Tropical Cyclones Storm Surges Thunderstorms Tornadoes and Squalls: Implications for Agriculture. 6. Agrometeorology Related to Extreme Temperatures Heat Waves and Frost. 7. Wind Storms and Sand: Dust Storms and their Effect on Environment and Plants. 8. Forest and Bush Fire and their Impact on the Environment. 9. Pests and Diseases of Crops and Livestock. 10. Environmental and Agricultural Implications of Earthquakes Tsunamis and Volcanic Eruptions. 11. Impacts of Agricultural Chemicals on Soil Water and Air Pollution. 12. Climate Change and Extreme Events: Implications for Agriculture.

Despite the current technological advancements agriculture as a vital source of livelihood remains essentially dependent on weather and climate and is adversely affected by weather and climate-related extreme events. Over the past few decades extreme events such as droughts floods storms tropical cyclones and forest fires have destroyed economic and social infrastructure and at the same time endangered food security. The agricultural sector is affected through the impact on water resources damage to crops rangelands and forests due to incidence of droughts locust plagues and wildland fires. While natural hazards may not be avoided integration of risk assessment and early warnings with prevention and mitigation measures can prevent them from becoming disasters. Improved forecast accuracy and more focused information on the location intensity and duration of climate extremes could underpin efforts to implement more effective risk management strategies. This book based on state of the art knowledge on the science and application of agricultural meteorology needed to better cope with extreme climate events should be of interest to all organizations and agencies engaged in planning disaster reduction strategies and mitigation of extreme events.