Assessment of Climate Change Variability Impacts on Wheat and Barley Production in Palestine

Abstract

The study aimed at addressing climate variability impacts on wheat and barley production in Palestine. A combination of literature survey and multiple semi-structured interviews with officials from the Palestinian governmental agriculture related agencies and active non-governmental organizations (NGOs) used for gathering information on wheat and barley production in Palestine. The gathered data along with information and subsequent results prevailed that the West Bank since the 1970s has experienced a significant decrease in winter rainfall. Across 15 sites, growing season rainfall (September to May) decreased by an average of 11% and the sum of rainfall in September and October decreased by 45%. Despite the large decline in rainfall, yields based on the actual weather data did not fall. These results were due to the rainfall changes mainly occurring in September and October, a period when rainfall often is less than crop demand. The study arrived at conclusion based on the study results that climate change variabilities have differential impacts on the yield growth of wheat and barley. However, both rainfed dependent crops are adversely affected by the current climate trends. The yields of barley and wheat are decreasing due to increased temperature and decreased precipitation.