Landslide vulnerability of rubber growers

 The expansion of rubber plantations in Meghalaya is seen as a livelihood success story. A new report published by the Rubber Research Institute of India of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry sheds light on the landslide susceptibility of rubber plantations in the hill state. Addressing landslide vulnerability will be crucial for the sustainability of rubber production as an alternative livelihood in those areas. The report titled “Rubber Plantations in Landslide Vulnerable Areas of Kerala and Meghalaya Delineated through Remote Sensing and GIS” highlights that of the total area under rubber cultivation, about 88 percent is located in the low susceptibility zone, 11 percent in the medium susceptibility zone, and 1 percent in the high susceptibility zone in Meghalaya. The state has 16,930 hectares under rubber cultivation. In Kerala, on the other hand, 1.6 percent is in the high landslide susceptibility zone, 6 percent in the medium, and 2 percent in the low susceptibility zone, the report adds. The authors, Mr. Pradeep B., a scientist at the Climate Change and Ecosystem Studies Division of the Institute with specialization in Remote Sensing and Dr. Jessy M.D., Director in Charge of the Institute, have also included suggestions for good agricultural practices that may be followed to reduce the vulnerability of rubber plantations to landslides. Key suggestions included in the report for low-vulnerability zones are: rubber should be cultivated with minimum soil disturbance; avoid using heavy machinery for planting pits; should be planted in small pits when soil is deep; cutting of terraces or digging of silt pits should be avoided; avoiding soil disturbing intercrop; and providing proper drainage to drain off excess water from the field. The report underscores the need for extreme caution to minimise disturbance of ecosystems while cultivating rubber, for infrastructure development, and for the use of heavy machinery for land preparation in areas with medium and high landslide vulnerability. The authors have insisted that “it is not practical to abandon or avoid economic activity in the landslide vulnerable areas” and underscore the need for the adoption of zero tillage practices in landslide vulnerable areas in synchrony with natural processes and systems in rubber cultivation. Disseminating the advisory to rubber growers is critical to mitigating the risks through the adoption of necessary caution and care. Natural rubber cultivation provides a steady livelihood to growers for 25 years after a long gestation period of seven to eight years. If the landslide vulnerability is not kept in mind while shifting to rubber plantations, then economic losses due to crop losses on account of any landslide event will be too big for the growers to absorb. For small and marginal rubber growers in the state, landslides will only compound economic shocks resulting from the volatility of the natural rubber price that has already gripped them. India is the second-largest consumer of natural rubber, and the Rubber Board has projected that consumption in the country will increase to 1.5 million metric tonnes by 2025–26 from the current consumption level of 1.29 million metric tonnes. Rubber imports valued at Rs 7,500 crore bridged the gap in production and consumption in the country in 2021–22. The figures imply that there is enough potential in the domestic market for rubber growers in Meghalaya and other states in the northeast region to tap if their plantations are sustainable and resilient against landslide vulnerability. The report states that though there is high uncertainty in predicting rainfall-induced landslides due to the uncertainty associated with predicting such rainfall events, technology-driven integrated approaches minimise the impact of such hazards on ecosystems as well as on society. The landslide vulnerability of rubber plantations, however, also brings to the fore the vulnerability of monocropping. Rubber, areca nut, and broom have been pushed as cash crops on traditional jhum fields, but the risks associated with crop failure or price drops in these monocrops need to be adequately addressed to build the resilience of farmers. The destruction of natural forests to clear areas for cash crops is another emerging issue in the entire northeastern region that calls for the urgent attention of all stakeholders. Besides, the rich biodiversity that is sustained on the Jhum field gets lost in monocropping and understanding how it affects the traditional and cultural practices of the ethnic communities as well as how it impacts the climate situation. It is equally important to arrive at a pragmatic decision about whether the expansion of rubber and other cash crop cultivation should be allowed to completely or partly replace the shifting cultivation. The impact of climate change on the long-term sustainability of monoculture crops due to erratic rainfall, rising temperatures, and water shortages cannot be ignored. The report published by the Rubber Research Institute of India will be a useful document for policy planners and stakeholders in rubber plantations in Meghalaya to articulate long-term strategies to reduce the economic vulnerability of rubber growers due to landslide susceptibility.