Cost-effective adaptations increase rice production while reducing pollution under climate change.

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Environmental Science
• Climate Science

Background:

• Rice cultivation is a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and nitrogen pollution.
• Current best management practices (BMPs) for rice may not be effective under future climate change scenarios.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the adaptability and efficacy of 49 BMPs for rice production under future climate conditions.
• To identify optimal climate adaptation measures for global rice-producing regions.

Main Methods:

• Assessed 49 BMPs across global rice-growing areas.
• Modeled impacts on rice production, GHG emissions, and nitrogen pollution under future climates.
• Assigned optimal adaptation measures to each grid cell.

Main Results:

• Global rice production could increase by 36% with proposed adaptation strategies.
• GHG emissions and nitrogen losses could be reduced by 23% and 32%, respectively.
• Potential global benefit of US$117 billion with implementation costs of US$13 billion.

Conclusions:

• Climate adaptation strategies are crucial for sustainable rice production.
• Implementing these strategies offers significant economic and environmental advantages.
• Cost-effective adaptation is vital for the global agricultural system facing climate challenges.