Climate adaptation is a priority – here’s how we contribute at Biomass Group
Sri Lanka is positioned as the second most vulnerable country to climate change! Occurrence of heavy rainfalls, floods, droughts, landslides and strong winds have increased significantly over recent years. Mitigate and adapt to climate change have become top priority for the island country, making it the responsibility of everybody including private sector. We at Biomass Group place this responsibility at the core of our business model.
The poor population in rural Sri Lanka, depending mainly on agriculture as main income source, are the most affected by extreme climate events. Biomass Group work with smallholder farmers in North Central and Eastern provinces who depends on North-Eastern monsoon for cultivation. Since beginning of our operations in 2013, our field officers receive more and more complaints such as ‘now it is difficult to rely on rain like it was before’. Even though they directly experience climate change impacts throughout the seasons, smallholder farmers knowledge on climate change and how to prepare for and adapt to it is little to zero.
Biomass Group believe information is the first step towards acting. Since 2017, combining with our carbon certification activities, we started transferring knowledge on climate change impacts – why it happens and how to adapt – to our smallholder farmers. We have so far conducted 100+ training programs on climate change impacts and adaptation measures.
Climate adaptation is at the core of our business model.
Gliricidia – the main biomass source in our business – is a nitrogen fixing and drought tolerant tree. We train farmers to use Gliricidia leaves as mulching material and on producing organic fertilizers, pesticides and fungicides. Drought tolerant Gliricidia also provides a sustainable fodder for livestock. Gliricidia is promoted as a live fence and an inter-crop which protects farmlands/home gardens from soil erosion – especially at times of heavy rains providing climate resilience. Through decreased soil erosion and increased soil fertility we contribute to improve the farm productivity, ensuring food security.
Further, selling Gliricidia branches for bio-energy generation creates an additional income source for smallholder farmers, providing an opportunity to diversify their income generation.