A Review on Climate Change and its Impact on Agriculture in India

Agriculture sector is of the utmost importance to the economy of a country and incidentally it is also most vulnerable to global climate change. Climate change is taking a toll on India’s agricultural production and productivity. Intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) has projected that by the end of 21st century temperature in India is likely to increase by 3-4°C which would lead to a loss of 3-26% in net agricultural revenues. Aggravated climatic factors will ultimately decline plant productivity, which will result in increased prices and unaffordable rates for the common population. The absence of mitigation and adaptation measures may result in lower farm income by 12-40% in the coming years. This issue is an important concern for livelihood, economic development and ensuring food and job security of an agrarian nation like India. The causes that ultimately are contributing to increase in greenhouse gases, deterioration of soil and water ecology must be identified and rectified. Crop productivity in the countries of southern hemisphere is expected to decrease by as much as 20 per cent, with less developed countries suffering the greatest negative effects according to IPCC report 2007. Hence, adaptation to current agricultural scenario must be undertaken at once to avoid the risks incurred and tackle complications arising due to global climate change. How quickly Indian farmers are able to adjust in their farming practices to adapt to climate change and what policies or technologies will enable rapid adaptation are issues that merit attention of everyone. However, a rapid adaptation is less possible in a developing country like India, where availability to information and capital is limited among the majority of farmers.