Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture and Food Security in India

This paper reviews evidences on the climate change challenge; and assesses the impact of climate change on agriculture and food security in India. This paper also estimates the impact of climate change on Indian agriculture. Agriculture is the backbone of Indian economy. Directly or indirectly 55% of the countries population depends on the climate sensitive sector agriculture. The agricultural sector is a driving force in the gas emissions and land use effects that causes climate change. In addition being a significant user of land and consumer of fossil fuel, agriculture contributes directly to greenhouse gas emissions through practices such as rice production and the raising of livestock (FAO, 2007). According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the three main causes of the increase in greenhouse gases observed over the past 250 years have been fossil fuels, land use, and agriculture (IPCC 2001).

The projected climate change under various scenarios is likely to have implications on food production, water supply, biodiversity and livelihoods. Estimations predict that the area under food grain, for instance fell from 126.18 mha to 122.23 mha during the period from 1975–76 to 2008– 09, the production registered an increase from 121.03 Mt. to 234.47 Mt. during that period. The study also indicates that there is a large scale fluctuation in the area under the cultivation in the Kharif season. The area under cultivation in the Kharif season has increased from 78.21 million hectare in 1966–67 to maximum of 84.14 million hectare in 1983–84 with some minor fluctuations. But after that with the fluctuation in rain fall and changes in the temperature pattern there has been a continuous fall in the area under cultivation.