We cannot solve the problems we have created with the same thinking we used in creating them - Albert Einstein. S outh Asia still faces the greatest hunger burden, with over 281 million malnourished people, including 40% of India’s population. How we grow and consume our food has a significant impact on levels of hunger, but it doesn’t end there. If done right, agriculture and forests can become sources of decent incomes for the global population, the engines of rural development, and our vanguard against climate change. The agricultural sector is the single largest employer in the world, employing 40% of the global population, and in India, 54.6% of its total workforce. Even with more than half of the country’s population employed in the sector, agriculture contributes only 15% of India’s GDP. Restores and nourishes the soil : Healthy soil ultimately leads to healthier plants and animals, resulting in much more nutritious food for people. It holds mo
In the recent times, Climate change has become an acute threat to human sustenance and existence. Increasing incidences of Climate change impacts- droughts, floods, extreme heat and natural disasters are not only causing fatalities but also severe economic losses and the most vulnerable are being hit the hardest. Climate change increases volatility and threatens global development and food security.
Unpredictable weather:
The frequent occurrence of floods, famines, droughts,
and overall rise in the temperatures is severely affecting the poor people.
These people live on meager incomes and having very less social security
insurance and infrastructure, thus are the most unguarded individuals.
Food production in India:
India is sensitive to climate changes such as
variability in monsoon rainfall and temperature changes within a season.
Studies by Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) and others indicate
greater expected loss in the Rabi crop. Every 1°C rise in temperature reduces
wheat production by 4-5 Million 11 Tones. Small changes in temperature and
rainfall have significant effects on the quality of fruits, vegetables, tea, coffee,
aromatic and medicinal plants, and basmati rice. Pathogens and insect
populations are strongly dependent upon temperature and humidity, and changes
in these parameters may change their population dynamics. Other impacts on
agricultural and related sectors include lower yields from dairy cattle and
decline in fish breeding, migration, and harvests. Global reports indicate a
loss of 10-40% in crop production by 2100. Scientists also estimated that a 2°C
rise in mean temperature and a 7% increase in mean precipitation would reduce
net revenues by 12.3% for the country as a whole.
1) direct effects from changes in temperature,
precipitation or carbon dioxide concentrations,
2) indirect effects through changes in soil moisture and
the distribution and frequency of infestation by pests and diseases.
Impact on Farmers:
Agriculture is one of the most important
economic sectors in developing countries like India where more than half of
population is directly, indirectly or remotely dependent on agriculture for
their income and unfortunately it is also one of the most sensitive to climate
change given its dependence on weather conditions. Non-seasonal rainfalls and
less rainfall in the required seasons cause a great distress on the
agriculturalists and farmers, causing them to fall into the cycle of debts,
pushing them towards suicides.
Water scarcity:
Water is going to be a depleted resource in the
times to come, especially the people living in coastal areas are predicted to
be suffering the most. This effect of climate change would also have a direct
effect on the economically unstable people. Approximately 22 million people
faced water scarcity at the end of the twentieth century, and according to
projections configured by the IPCC, the number of people likely to endure
issues in water sanitation by 2050 is 79 to 178 million.
Increase in expenditure:
A farmer already spend more income on social and
health than other classes. Climate change along with rising prices of basic
necessities i.e. Bread, Cloth and Housing and along with Inflation and the
increasing spread of communicable diseases and epidemics will drive the
vulnerable households into the viscous cycle of economic instability.
Current Actions:
Farmers need to be sensitized on climate variability,
climate change, its impact on crop production, and coping options like agro-met
Advisories, Contingency Planning, Demonstration of Climate Resilient
Technologies to the farmers. So we at
worm environmental, provide a smart ag tech solutions that deliver significant
decision-making tools that bring consistency and dependability with
capabilities of live reporting, analysis, interpretation and insights based on
the research, while data-managing the entire ecosystem.
Reference :
Asian Development Bank, 2009. Addressing Climate Change in the Asia and PacificRegion.
Briefing Note (1), 2008, International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, Geneva,
September, 2008 International Food Policy Research Institute, 2009. ClimateChange: Impact on Agriculture and Costs of Adaptation, 2009 Jamil Ahmad, Dastgir
Alam and Ms. Shaukat Haseen. 2011.
Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture and Food Security in India Int. Jr. of Agril.,
Env. and Biotech. Vol. 4, No. 2 : June 2011 : 129-137
IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climatic Change) 2006. The Economics of ClimateChange: Stern Review. The Summary of conclusions. Survey of the Environment
2007, The Hindu, pp141-145.
IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climatic Change) 2007. Climate Change: ThePhysical Science Basis. Extracts from the IV Assessment Report. Survey of the
Environment 2007, The Hindu, pp147-155.
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