Climate Change

In Washington State, we are experiencing drought due to the lack of snowmelt that we have had in abundance for years. Even though we have a great deal of rain on the Western Side of the Mountains, they are still saying we are in drought conditions. So Permacultural principles will become more important here. I am wondering if this book addresses such issues?

Best,

Pavel M.

Thanks for your question Pavel, it's interesting to hear about your situation.

I've heard of similar situations in other areas, like agricultural areas in South Asia fed by meltwater from the Himalayas. Our book mentions how rice farmers in Nepal connected with the Himalayan Permaculture Centre are taking up Sustainable Rice Intensification methods that allow rice to be grown with less water. We also cover ways in which people in different parts of the world have responded to drought through revegetation, new measures for water retention and management, and growing varieties more tolerant of reduced and/or unpredictable rainfall. Permaculturists have worked in drought-affected areas for many decades - since before climate change became so prominent as a global issue - and come up with many ingenious solutions. It would be interesting to discover what's possible in the Northwest US.

Cheers, Tom