Sustainable Development in Agriculture Beyond the Notion of Minimizing Environmental Impacts

The total economic cost of all-natural disasters has risen 14-fold since the 1950s, and they considerably influence agricultural growth. Geophysical and hydro-meteorological disasters are two categories of natural disasters. Definitions for the different hydro-meteorological disaster categories were presented, including heat waves, cyclones, torrential rains, droughts, floods, and forest fires. Between 1950 and 2005, evidence obtained from various parts of the world showed a rise in the rate of natural disasters. There was extensive information on how natural disasters affected forests, rangeland, and agriculture. Because it increases the risk of natural disasters, environmental damage is one of the main causes, making forestry, rangeland, and agriculture more vulnerable. Traditional concepts of sustainable development focused on finding a balance between environmental concerns and agricultural productivity. The concept of sustainable development must now go beyond the idea of reducing environmental impact; it must also consider managing susceptibility and improving the ability to adapt and respond to natural disasters. Therefore, disaster risk management and mitigation should be a part of a sustainable agricultural growth matrix. The impacts of hydro-meteorological disasters must be significantly minimized via greater usage of weather and climate data and predictions, systems of early warning, suitable land management, and managing natural reserve techniques.