Introduction
The world of today is in dire need of sustainability and intensive climate control. Unimaginable losses in agriculture and forestry have resulted from climate change, particularly in a country like India where the population is heavily dependent on its crop yields. Methods used in agricultural production these days often contribute to increasing level of greenhouse gases which cause global temperature to rise, thus causing global warming. By 2050, global warming is projected to reduce crop yields by 10-25% due to changes in temperature, precipitation patterns, and increased frequency of extreme weather events like droughts and floods (FAO).
Indian farmers rely on rainfalls which continue to be unpredictable due to global warming and the rural population gets severely affected by it as farming not only produces food but also generates employment for most people, therefore these areas of the country continue to be underdeveloped. This brings a requirement of advocating for practices that can bring the rural population, especially those involved in farming, desired results without threatening the resources or getting threatened by the extremities of the climate. One of these practices is climate resilient farming which is a notion that believes in aggrandizing farming practices to foresee and adapt to the changes in the climate and recuperate from the adversity of it.
Climate resilient farming therefore refers to the integration of adaptation, mitigation, and all other practices in farming which enhances the ability of the farm system to withstand different forms of climate interference and return to productivity. These disruptions may present as droughts, floods, heatwaves, cold waves, inconsistent rain, extended droughts, pest infestations, and other apparent climatic changes. In short, it is the capacity of the system to regenerate or be regenerated. Climate-resilient farming has an inherent mechanism for identifying threats that require attention, together with assessing the efficacy of the response. CRF will entail the rational and enhanced usage of natural resources, including land, water, soil, and genetic resources, through the optimal application of best practices (NAAS, 2013).
Worldwide Environmental Obstacles and the Sustainable Approach
As an enemy of the agricultural world, climate change makes it difficult for crops to grow in regular patterns. Unpredictable changes lead to huge losses of resources and labour and uncontrollable dangers to the crops like pests. For rural areas, the impact is always more than anticipated, leading to lower productivity of agriculture and economic instability. Turning to climate resilient farming would not only help in mitigating the risks of climate change but also contribute to a better ecosystem. Agricultural sustainability can back rural development by a lot. It is about using practices that meet the needs of today without taking the future for granted. These practices can include water conservation, preventing soil erosion by focusing on improving soil health and much more. Sustainable practices like these have helped many farmers to increase productivity, contribute to planetary resource conservation and it is high time this becomes a pathway to follow.
Strategies for Transitioning to Climate Resilient Farming
Precision Farming
The use of technologies and data analytics into agricultural practices is referred to as precision farming or precision agriculture. It helps in making optimal use of resources while managing waste and environmental impacts. Precision agriculture employs advanced technologies such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Global Positioning System (GPS), Variable Rate Technology (VRT), soil and crop sensors, Internet of Things (IoT), and Artificial Intelligence (AI), among others. (Sarma, H. H., et al. 2024).
Conservation Techniques
By effectively applying conservation techniques in agriculture, we can obtain productive farming. As soil health is the most important part of agriculture, it becomes important to improve the quality of soil and maintain it for a long time. Techniques like cover cropping, reduced tillage, compost etc., can help in improving soil quality by reducing soil erosion, increasing water retention and thus forming a good foundation for agriculture.
Crop Diversification
This approach enables farmers to increase their crop yields and lower the risk of crop failure by a system of mixed cropping and rotation. Through these methods, the risks of pests and diseases are reduced which improves soil condition. Thus, selecting climate resilient crop varieties help in holding out against the extreme climatic conditions and enhance crop resilience.
Climate Resilient Villages (CRVs)
Climate resilient agricultural practices are crop and location specific and can be tailored to fit into the agro-ecological and socioeconomic conditions and priorities of farmers.The concept of climate resilient villages (CRVs) consists of implementing these resilient practices at a scale to cover the entire village in a saturation mode depending on the resource endowments of the farmers with one or several interventions for imparting resilience to the production systems (Rao, C. S., et al. 2016). These cover the adaptation and mitigation of climate risks, resource management and better crop management causing the upliftment of the rural areas.
Government policies
National Innovations on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA)
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has initiated a project National Innovation and Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) in February 2011. The initiative seeks to strengthen the adaptability of Indian agriculture in the face of climate change and related vulnerabilities by employing targeted research and technical demonstrations. The initiative comprises four components: Strategic Research, Technology Demonstration, Capacity Building, and Sponsored/Competitive Grants.
Features
- Enhancing research outputs via Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and the National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture to promote wider adoption among farmers.
- An increased focus on the historically neglected cattle and aquaculture industries in studies of climate change, including the recording of adaptive traits in native breeds.
National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA)
The National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) aims to enhance agricultural productivity, especially in rain-fed areas, by focusing on integrated farming practices, efficient water usage, soil health management, and the synergy of resource conservation.
Some Strategies
- Popularising resource conservation technologies (both on-farm and off-farm) and introducing practices that will support mitigation efforts in times of extreme climatic events or disasters like prolonged dry spells, floods etc.
- Promoting effective management of available water resources and enhancing water use efficiency through application of technologies coupled with demand and supply side management solutions
Conclusion
In a nutshell, we can say that in a country like India, climate resilient farming is imperative for sustainable rural development.
The farmers here can greatly benefit from the application of these resilient practices, that can foresee and adapt to the ever so incalculable climate, which will therefore lead to enhanced farming productivity, mitigated risks, and ensured food security.
The transition to these practices needs a mixture of technological advances, innovative farming and supportive government policies.
The fundamental approaches of implementing CRA like Precision farming, conservation techniques, crop diversification and the establishment of climate resilient villages(CRVs) will lead to more awareness for sustainability among the masses
Besides, government initiatives like the National Innovations on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) and the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) play crucial roles in providing research, technology, and support to farmers.
By welcoming climate-resilient farming, India can not only address the challenges posed by climate change but also strengthen its rural economies and improve the livelihoods of millions of people. It is a necessary step towards a more sustainable and resilient future.
References
- Sarma, H. H., Borah, S. K., Dutta, N., Sultana, N., Nath, H., & Das, B. C. (2024). Innovative approaches for climate-resilient farming: Strategies against environmental shifts and climate change. International Journal of Environment and Climate Change, 14(9), 217-241. https://doi.org/10.9734/ijecc/2024/v14i94407.
- Rao, C. S., Gopinath, K. A., Prasad, J. V. N. S., & Singh, A. K. (2016). Climate resilient villages for sustainable food security in tropical India: concept, process, technologies, institutions, and impacts. Advances in Agronomy, 140, 101-214. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.agron.2016.06.003
- NAAS 2013. Climate Resilient Agriculture in India. Policy Paper No. 65, National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, New Delhi: 20 p. https://naas.org.in/Policy%20Papers/policy%2065.pdf