A diversity of natural assets will be needed to cope with climate change. and ensure productive agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. For example, crop varieties are needed that perform well under drought, heat, and enhanced CO,, But the private-sector and farmer-led process of choosing crops favours homogeneity adapted to past or -current conditions, not varieties capable of producing consistently high yields in warmer, wetter, or drier conditions. Accelerated breeding programmes are needed to conserve a wider pool of genetic resources of existing. crops, breeds and their wild relatives. Relatively intact ecosystems, such as forested catchments, mangroves, wetlands, can buffer the Impacts of climate change. Under a changing climate, these ecosystems are themselves at risk, and management approaches will need to be more proactive and adaptive. Connections between natural areas, such as migration corridors, may be needed to facilitate species movements, to keep up with the change in climate.
With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:
Which of the above assumptions is are valid?
Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are valid assumptions based on the provided passage.
Statement 1: Diversification of livelihoods acts as a Coping strategy for climate change.
The passage emphasizes the necessity of "a diversity of natural assets" to "cope with climate change" and ensure "productive agriculture, forestry, and fisheries." These sectors are integral to livelihoods. The call for diverse crop varieties, intact ecosystems, and adaptive management approaches collectively implies that diversifying practices and resources (which support livelihoods) is a crucial strategy for adapting to and coping with climate change impacts.
Statement 2: Adoption of monocropping practice leads to the extinction of plant varieties and their wild relatives.
The passage criticizes the current process of choosing crops for favoring "homogeneity adapted to past or -current conditions," rather than varieties resilient to future climate changes. This homogeneity is characteristic of monocropping. Immediately following this, the passage calls for "accelerated breeding programmes... to conserve a wider pool of genetic resources of existing crops, breeds and their wild relatives." This juxtaposition suggests that the practice of favoring homogeneity (monocropping) contributes to the reduction of genetic diversity, thereby increasing the risk of loss or extinction for various plant varieties and their wild relatives.
Options (A), (B), and (D) are incorrect because the analysis of the passage indicates that both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are valid assumptions.