News and Articles

Climate related natural disasters and agriculture in India

Climate related natural disasters are predicted to threaten crop productivity and thereby food security in the future in India where the damage would be severe with more than 50 percent people being directly dependent on agriculture and with about 43 percent of cultivated lands being rainfed. 

In rural India, where agriculture remains a primary livelihood, access to basic amenities is often lacking, contributing to low livelihood security. The presence of extensive wasteland, particularly in regions like West Bengal, exacerbates these challenges, especially in socially marginalised areas.

What are grasslands

The world is heating up like never before. According to NOAA's 2023 climate report, the combined land and ocean temperature has increased at an average rate of 0.11° Fahrenheit (0.06° Celsius) per decade since 1850, or about 2° F in total.

The ‘Youth4Water India’, a campaign initiated by Water Initiatives, WaterAid India and sixty-eight other organisations, has just released a 23-point manifesto for political parties contesting in these general elections urging upon them to commit to special rehabilitation and support programmes for the youth who are most vul

While dams are said to play a crucial role in meeting growing water demands, generating energy, and protecting from floods, controlled water release from dams can significantly impact the ecosystem of estuaries and the fish living in its waters.

What are estuaries

Drought, a climatic phenomenon marked by insufficient rainfall over an extended period, severely impacts livelihoods by causing water shortages for essential activities like farming. This leads to reduced agricultural income, livestock mortality, food insecurity, and health issues.

The future of over one billion people and globally significant ecosystems hinges on collaborative efforts to address the challenges posed by climate change and water management in three critical river basins: the Indus, the Ganga, and the Brahm

Agricultural productivity continues to be low in South Asian economies such as India. For example, the average paddy production per hectare in India is 3590 kg, which is much lower compared to 6686 kg per ha.

As high as  0.6 million Indians suffer from high to very high water stress because of insufficient availability of freshwater.