Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture and Sustainable Agriculture Practices
Geography › Agriculture and Crop Geography · Topic 11.12
Climate change affects Indian agriculture through higher temperatures, shifting and more erratic rainfall, more floods and droughts, heat waves, rising sea level and new pests. Yields of wheat, rice and other crops are expected to fall without adaptation: the March heat wave of 2022 cut wheat yields in several states. Sustainable agricultural practices include climate-resilient varieties, micro-irrigation, conservation agriculture, agroforestry, integrated farming, organic and natural farming, crop diversification, soil health management, and weather-based advisories. The National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture project of ICAR was begun in 2011.
5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Geography · Agriculture and Crop Geography
At a Glance
- Impacts Heat stress, erratic rain, floods, droughts
- 2022 event March heat wave hit wheat
- Adaptation Resilient seeds, micro-irrigation, advisories
- ICAR project NICRA, 2011
- Alternative farming Organic and natural farming
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Geography: Agriculture and Crop Geography
Where Does It Fit?
This topic follows the topics on agricultural policy and asks how farming will cope with a changing climate. It connects with the earlier macro on climatology and the topics on sustainable land management and technology in this macro. Previous topic: Major Government Agricultural Schemes and the National Policy for Farmers. Next topic: Use of Information Technology in Agriculture.
How Does Climate Change Affect Indian Agriculture?
| Change | Effect on farming |
|---|---|
| Higher temperature | Faster crop growth and shorter grain-filling period, lower yield of wheat, rice and others; heat stress in livestock and fish |
| Heat waves | The unusually early heat in March 2022 reduced wheat yield in Punjab, Haryana and neighbouring states, and led to a ban on wheat exports |
| Changing monsoon | More intense rain in short spells with longer dry spells, delayed onset, shifts in rainfall, as in Monsoon Mechanism: Traditional and Contemporary Theories (Air Mass Theory, Jet Stream Theory) |
| Floods and droughts | Crop loss, soil erosion, waterlogging; droughts hit rainfed areas, which are about half of the cropped area |
| Sea level rise and cyclones | Salinity in deltas and coastal farms, loss of land |
| Pests and diseases | Spread of pests such as the fall armyworm and locusts into new areas |
| Glacier melt | Short-term floods and long-term decline of dry-season river flows in the Indo-Gangetic plain |
| Carbon dioxide | Higher concentration can raise yields of some crops but reduce grain nutrients such as protein and zinc |
Agriculture is also a source of emissions, about 14 per cent of India’s greenhouse gases, mainly methane from rice fields and livestock and nitrous oxide from fertiliser. The climate processes are in Heat Balance of the Atmosphere: Conduction, Convection, Advection, Terrestrial Radiation, Albedo and the effect of El Niño in Impact of El Niño and La Niña on the Indian Monsoon.
What Adaptation Measures Are Used?
- Climate-resilient varieties: heat-tolerant wheat, drought-tolerant and submergence-tolerant rice (Swarna-Sub1), short-duration varieties, and biofortified crops from ICAR.
- NICRA (2011): the National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture project of ICAR, which tests technologies in climate-resilient villages.
- Water management: micro-irrigation, rainwater harvesting, laser land levelling and direct seeding of rice, as in Water Resources: Utilization, Water Contamination, Conservation Methods.
- Crop planning: contingency plans for drought and floods, diversification to millets and pulses, and change of sowing dates.
- Weather services: block-level agro-advisories of the India Meteorological Department, with Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa, and crop insurance, as in Major Government Agricultural Schemes and the National Policy for Farmers.
- National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (2014): under the National Action Plan on Climate Change.
What Are Sustainable Agriculture Practices?
- Organic farming: no synthetic fertilisers or pesticides; supported by the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (2015); Sikkim became the first fully organic state in 2016.
- Natural farming: a low-cost, chemical-free approach using cow dung, urine and other local inputs, such as Zero Budget Natural Farming of Andhra Pradesh; the National Mission on Natural Farming was approved in 2024.
- System of Rice Intensification (SRI): younger seedlings planted singly with wider spacing, alternate wetting and drying, saving water and seed with often higher yields, and less methane.
- Integrated farming and agroforestry: crops with livestock, fish and trees; see Types of Forestry: Social Forestry, Agro-Forestry, Miyawaki Method.
- Millets: hardy crops of low water need promoted in the International Year of Millets 2023.
- Soil health and residue management: in-situ management of paddy straw to stop burning, as in Sustainable Land Management.
India’s Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement and the National Action Plan on Climate Change include agriculture, and the country has also launched the Climate Resilient Villages programme and promoted solar pumps under PM-KUSUM, which cut diesel use. As an analytical point, adaptation and mitigation can go together: practices that save water, fertiliser and energy also reduce emissions and raise resilience, but small farmers need finance, information and risk cover to adopt them.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Impacts Heat wave on wheat
- Projects NICRA and missions
- Practices SRI and natural farming
What Came Next?
The next topic describes the use of information technology in agriculture. Next topic: Use of Information Technology in Agriculture.
Key People and Terms
- NICRA Climate-resilient agriculture project
- SRI System of Rice Intensification
- ZBNF Zero Budget Natural Farming
- Agro-advisory Weather-based farm advice
- Climate-resilient variety Seed tolerant of stress
- Fall armyworm Invasive maize pest
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Agriculture gives about 14 per cent of India’s emissions.
- NICRA began in 2011.
- Sikkim is the first fully organic state.
- Natural farming mission approved in 2024.
- Year of Millets: 2023.
Do Not Confuse With
- Organic and natural farming No synthetic inputs versus low-cost local inputs
- Adaptation and mitigation Coping with change versus cutting emissions
- NICRA and NMSA ICAR project versus a mission under the climate plan
Memory Hook
Heat and rain go wrong; resilient seeds, drip and SRI, natural farming, advisories: adapt to get by.
Mains Angle
Questions ask for climate impacts on crops and adaptation measures. These points add depth.
- Impacts Heat, rain, pests
- Adaptation Seeds, water, advisories
- Sustainability Organic, natural, SRI
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Discuss the impact of climate change on Indian agriculture and the measures for climate-resilient and sustainable farming.”
How to Answer
- Impacts Heat, rainfall, pests.
- Adaptation Varieties, water, advisories.
- Practices Organic, natural, SRI.
- Support Finance and information.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
How does climate change affect agriculture in India?
Climate change raises temperatures, makes rainfall more erratic and extreme, and increases floods, droughts, heat waves and new pests. These reduce yields of crops such as wheat and rice, hit rainfed farms hardest, bring salinity to coastal farms and raise risks for livestock and fisheries.
What was the impact of the 2022 heat wave on wheat?
An unusually early and severe heat wave in March 2022 shortened the grain-filling period of wheat in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and other states, which reduced yields and procurement, and contributed to the Government's decision in May 2022 to restrict wheat exports.
What is NICRA?
NICRA, the National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture, is a project launched by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research in 2011. It studies the impact of climate change on crops, livestock and fisheries, develops resilient technologies, and demonstrates them in climate-resilient villages.
What is the System of Rice Intensification?
The System of Rice Intensification is a method of rice farming in which young seedlings are transplanted singly at wide spacing, with intermittent wetting and drying of the field instead of continuous flooding. It saves water and seed, often raises yields and lowers methane emissions.
What is natural farming?
Natural farming is a chemical-free approach that uses locally made inputs such as cow dung, cow urine and organic mulch, and avoids synthetic fertilisers and pesticides, to reduce costs and improve soil health. The National Mission on Natural Farming was approved by the Union Cabinet in 2024.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 Agriculture is a source of greenhouse gas emissions in India.
Mainly methane and nitrous oxide.
2 Sikkim was the first state to become fully organic.
In 2016.
3 The System of Rice Intensification uses continuous flooding.
It uses alternate wetting and drying.
4 NICRA is a project of ICAR.
Started in 2011.
Past Mains Questions on This Topic
This topic comes under Agriculture and Crop Geography. UPSC Mains questions asked on the matching syllabus topic, year-wise with marks:
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