Hot Chili Pepper Cultivation as a Climate Smart Approach in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka

By Ganga Kariyawasam (Manager, Reporting and Quality Assurance of SLRCS)

Kurunegala District, Western Province, Sri Lanka – The farmers in the dry zone are highly vulnerable to the changing climate, resulting constant crop failures due to drought, intense rains, pest and disease attacks. On top of that, land degradation, collapse of minor irrigation systems, high production cost, elephant and wild animal attacks intensify the situation, resulting farmers drop out from agriculture.

Climate Resilient Integrated Water Management Project (CRIWMP) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) acting as the Civil Society Organisation of the Kurunegala District in Sri Lanka, intend to provide support to these vulnerable small scale dry zone farmers to continue farming through “Climate Smart Agriculture” (CSA); agriculture that sustainably increases productivity, enhances adaptation and reduces Green House Gas (GHG) emission and enhances achievement of national food security and development goals (FAO, 2010), which is the best approach against climate change.