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Impact of climate change on Indian agriculture and prevention measures (69th BPSC Essay)
“Thank God men cannot fly, and lay waste the sky as well as the earth.”- Henry David Thoreau
American naturalist ‘Henry David Thoreau’ expressed this thought, which stands as a testament to the reckless exploitation of nature by humans in the race for modernization. Today, the world is witnessing a sharp rise in various natural disasters. There are instances of heavy rainfall and flooding in desert regions, severe droughts in urban and vegetative areas, and rapid melting of ice in sensitive areas like the Arctic and Antarctic. On one hand, widespread forest fires are occurring in regions like the Amazon, while on the other hand, more than half of the world is struggling with water scarcity. Changing weather patterns have not only increased the frequency of cyclones but also brought significant shifts in rainfall patterns. The primary reason behind these changes is climate change, which is a direct consequence of various human activities aimed at development.
We know that the impact of climate change is not limited to these large-scale events but also affects several internal processes. While these effects may not be immediately visible, a broader evaluation reveals significant damage. One of the most severely affected sectors is ‘agriculture.’
In a country like India, where children are taught from an early age that ‘India is an agricultural country,’ a large portion of arable land relies on monsoon rains for irrigation. This dependence increases the susceptibility of Indian agriculture to climate change risks. Agriculture is not only a source of food security, nutrition, and livelihood for millions but is also a significant contributor to the national economy. Rising temperatures due to climate change have led to soil degradation, reduction in per capita land availability, and inactivity in cultivated areas, directly affecting over 80% of small and medium farmers and indirectly impacting the entire nation.
According to recent data, global average temperatures are projected to rise by 1°C by 2025 and 3°C by 2100 due to climate change. Additionally, between 2024 and 2028, there is an 80% likelihood that at least one year will exceed the 1.5°C threshold. This temperature increase will not only accelerate glacier melting and raise sea levels but also elevate greenhouse gas concentrations. Consequently, climate change will lead to a decline in crop productivity, increased malnutrition, and changes in plant diseases and pest patterns. In India, 68% of irrigated agricultural land contributes 40-45% to total agricultural production. Climate change is expected to bring variations in rainfall patterns and an increase in intensity over the coming years, posing a significant threat to India’s agricultural sector.
Over the past few years, climate change-induced seasonal events have already caused major shifts in India’s agricultural systems. Unseasonal rains, uneven monsoon distribution, and prolonged heatwaves have adversely affected crops like rice, wheat, pulses, and oilseeds.
Research on wheat crops and climate change has shown that an increase of just 1°C above 30°C results in a 3-4% decline in wheat yield. In July 2023, excessive rainfall in the hilly states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand disrupted vegetable production, leading to a surge in tomato prices across the country. Similarly, unseasonal rains just before the wheat harvest in recent years have severely impacted yields. In March 2022, a heatwave pushed temperatures in parts of northern India to around 35°C, causing grain shrinkage and significant production losses. As a result, India, the world’s second-largest wheat producer, was forced to impose export restrictions to ensure domestic supply.
Although numerous national and international conferences have been held to mitigate climate change impacts on agriculture, further innovative solutions can be explored. To make agriculture climate-resilient, the government collaborated with farmers last year to ensure that over 60% of the 34 million hectares of cultivated land was sown with climate-resistant wheat varieties. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has introduced 1,956 high-yielding, stress-tolerant crop varieties, including 1,622 climate-resilient ones. Additionally, ICAR has developed 45 models for climate-resilient integrated farming systems and established a ‘climate-resilient village’ in each of the 151 districts under the National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) project.
“Until you love nature, you will not find true peace in life.”- Rabindranath Tagore
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