Identify the need for a climate resilient agriculture in India, discuss how it can be achieved.

National Mission on climate change entails a national Mission on smart agriculture highlighting clear link between climate change and agricultural resilience.

Need for climate resilient agriculture:

• Rainfed – More than 50% area under rain fed agriculture. Changing rainfall patterns, intensity and seasons.
• Poverty – employs more than 48% workforce in India, critical to poverty alleviation.
• Subsistence – lack of mechanisation, credit, insurance, inputs, irrigation.
• Food security – India is already at the ‘severe’ category of hunger in the global hunger index.
• Rural economy and overall development.

How to be achieved:

• Watershed area development – mapping of groundwater and surface water resources, rainwater harvesting, revival of traditional structures, increasing efficiency of irrigation.
• Crop diversification – millets, pulses are hard and climate resilient crops which can grow in scanty rainfall and high temperatures.
• Allied agriculture – livelihood diversification with animal husbandry, poultry, apiculture.
• Mixed farming and conservation agriculture.
• Integrated level, nutrient, water management. E.g. Agroforestry, manuring, mulching.
• Extension activities – mechanisation through common service centres, insurance and assessment.

Climate resilient agriculture is the need of the hour in the wake of climate change induced disasters.

Topics: GS-III: E-Technology in the Aid of Farmers • GS-III: Conservation Environmental Pollution Degradation