Sustainable development of the agricultural sector: challenges of war and climate

Abstract

The impact of climate change on the agricultural sector is discussed, and recommendations for minimizing risks related to agricultural water supply are developed. These recommendations include improving the forecasting and warning system for droughts, implementing preventive mechanisms for drought insurance, reducing water consumption, and promoting sustainable water use through the reuse of treated wastewater, the enhancement of wastewater treatment systems, and the encouragement of sludge utilization from wastewater. Additionally, efforts should be made to enhance water monitoring efficiency, reduce chemical pollution, and achieve a "good" ecological state of water. Effective and water-saving agricultural systems such as organic farming, biogenic farming, No-till, Strip-till, and vertical farming should be implemented. The creation of new and support for existing agroforestry plantations, improvement of crop rotation structures, and the implementation of resource-saving land reclamation measures are also necessary. These measures align with sustainability criteria. The challenges of the vegetable farming industry in Ukraine are explored, taking into account the consequences of war and the damage to the Kakhovska HPP dam. It is established that before the full-scale invasion, 10% of the gross vegetable harvest in Ukraine was grown on irrigated lands in the regions of Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, and Zaporizhzhia. An analysis of vegetable crop yields under rainfed and irrigated agriculture conditions reveals that crop yields under irrigation exceeded rainfed yields by 2.5 times.