1. Rice production is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions in several Asian countries such as Vietnam and India, accounting for up to 38% and 5.7% of total national emissions respectively. 2. Alternate wetting and drying (AWD), a water saving irrigation technique, has been shown to reduce methane and nitrous oxide emissions from rice fields by up to 37% with no reduction in yield. AWD involves intermittent flooding and drainage of rice fields. 3. The International Rice Research Institute is providing technical support for climate change mitigation policies in several ways, including developing Clean Development Mechanism projects using AWD, mapping suitability of AWD adoption, and assisting countries in creating national action plans and

1. Prospects of Mitigation in Rice Fields
and Possible Policy Support:
Examples from Asia
Reiner Wassmann
Climate Change Coordinator
International Rice Research Institute

2. Significance of Rice Fields for GHG budgets
Forestry,
17.4%
All others ,
69.1%
National Scale in Asia:
Emissions from rice
production (selected)
Rice, 1.5%
Agriculture
(w/o rice),
12.0%
Country
Perc. of total
Viet Nam
38.199
24.8 %
India
(IPCC 4th AR, 2007)
(Mt CO2eq)
74.360
5.7 %
Indonesia
33.600
2.5 %
Data from the most recent
National Communication submitted to UNFCCC

3. Measurement Approaches
GHG Measurements:
Automated and Manual

4. Alternate-Wetting- and-Drying (AWD)
Synonyms:
• Intermittent Flooding/ Drainage
• Single or Multiple Flooding/ Drainage

5. Benefits of AWD
• Irrigation water savings of up to 33%
• No yield difference
Yield
a
a
Water use
a a
a
a
b
a
a
a
33%
12%
22%
0.9%
Contin. Flooding
AWD
21%
Adopted from: Wiangsamut (2010)

6. Global Warming Potential under
Continuous Flooding (CF) and AWD
tons CO2eq / ha*season
8
Pump Irrigation
(Tarlac)
Canal Irrigation
(N. Ecija)
N2O
CH4
6
4
2
0
CF
AWD
CF
“AWD “

7. Introducing AWD

8. Technical Support for Mitigation Policy
1. Prototyping ‘Clean Development
Mechanism’ projects
2. Country-specific/ Voluntary
emission reductions
3. Funding National Action Plans
of developing countries

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

10. SSM – 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

11. 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

12. Technical Support for Mitigation Policy
1. Prototyping ‘Clean Development
Mechanism’ Projects
2. Mapping suitability for mitigation
3. National Action Plans of
developing countries

13. Bio-physical Assessment of AWD
Dekad #1
Rainfall <
Evapotranspiration +
Seepage&Percolation
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

14. Bio-physical Assessment of AWD
Dekad #5
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

15. Bio-physical Assessment of AWD
Dekad #9
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

16. Technical Support for Mitigation Policy
1. Prototyping ‘Clean Development
Mechanism’ Projects
2. Mapping suitability for mitigation
3. Assisting in ‘road maps’ at
different scales

17. New Policy in Vietnam (20-20-20)
Prime
Minister
Objective:
“Up to 2020, to reduce by 20% the total
GHG emissions in agriculture and rural
development sector (18.87 million ton
CO2e)”

18. New Policy in Vietnam (20-20-20)
Prime
Minister
Ministry of
Agriculture
• Apply improved cultivation techniques such as
water irrigation and inputs saving …
• Scale 3.2 M ha of rice cultivation
• Priority areas: Mekong and Red River Deltas,
Central Coastline

19. New Mitigation Policy 20-20-20
Prime
Minister
Ministry of
Agriculture
Provincial
Governments
Farmers should use/apply AWD irrigation technology to not only greatly save water con-sumption
and reduce GHGs emissions in irrigated rice fields,
but also increase rice productivity.

20. AWD Adoption Scenarios
Province “Chậm” (= slow)
Province “Nhanh” (= fast)
YEAR
0
10 ha conv.
Seasonal Emission at yr 0:
1000 ha x 100 kg/ha +
= 100 t CO2eq
Seasonal Emission at yr 0:
1000 ha x 100 kg/ha +
= 100 t CO2eq

21. AWD Adoption Scenarios
Province “Chậm” (= slow)
Adoption Rate: 1%/ yr
Province “Nhanh” (= fast)
Adoption Rate: 10%/ yr
YEAR
1
10 ha conv.
10 ha AWD
Seasonal Emission at yr 1:
990 ha x 100 kg/ha +
10 ha x 63 kg/ha
= 99.6 t CO2eq
Seasonal Emission at yr 1:
900 ha x 100 kg/ha +
100 ha x 63 kg/ha
= 96.3 CO2eq

22. AWD Adoption Scenarios
Province “Chậm” (= slow)
Adoption Rate: 1%/ yr
Province “Nhanh” (= fast)
Adoption Rate: 10%/ yr
YEAR
2
10 ha conv.
10 ha AWD
Seasonal Emission at yr 2:
980 ha x 100 kg/ha +
20 ha x 63 kg/ha
= 99.2 t CO2eq
Seasonal Emission at yr 2:
800 ha x 100 kg/ha +
200 ha x 63 kg/ha
= 92.4 CO2eq

23. AWD Adoption Scenarios
Province “Chậm” (= slow)
Adoption Rate: 1%/ yr
Province “Nhanh” (= fast)
Adoption Rate: 10%/ yr
YEAR
7
10 ha conv.
10 ha AWD
Seasonal Emission at yr 7:
930 ha x 100 kg/ha +
70 ha x 63 kg/ha
= 97.4 t CO2eq
2.6%
Seasonal Emission at yr 7:
300 ha x 100 kg/ha +
700 ha x 63 kg/ha
25.9%
= 74.1 CO2eq

24. Technical Support for Mitigation Policy
1. Prototyping ‘Clean Development
Mechanism’ Projects
2. Mapping suitability for mitigation
3. Assisting in ‘road maps’ at
different scales
4. Developing guidelines
- Measuring, Reporting, Verific.
- Good Agricultural Practice

25. Measuring Mitigation Potential in
Smallholder Systems at Whole-farm and
Landscape Scales (SAMPLE)
• Initiative of
CCAFS/ Theme 3
• Collaboration with ICRAF, ILRI, IRRI,
KIT (Germany) and NARES partners
• Parallel assessment of mixed landscapes
(Kenya) and crop land (Philippines)

26. Determining
Emission Factor
for Straw Burning

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

28. Sustainable Rice Platform
An initiative of the
• United Nations Environment Programme
• International Rice Research Institute
• National institutions from several Asian countries
• and several private sector companies
Aim:
Higher rice production in a healthier environment
for higher incomes
http://www.unep.org/newscentre/default.aspx?DocumentID=2661&ArticleID=8967

29. Conclusion on impacts of
mitigation policies
Wishful
thinking
Significant impact on farmers’
income and poverty alleviation
Realistic
outlook
More emphasis and – hopefully
– funds for rural development
(irrigation facilities, improved
technol.)

30. Conclusion on CCAFS role
in supporting mitigation
Wishful
thinking
Generic recommendations
automatically result in efficient
mitigation policy
Realistic
outlook
Increasing demand for countryspecific information at different
scales