Farmers Awareness Program on Climate Change in India

Abstract

Understanding climate change and its implications on agricultural production is essential for the rural population in India as 65 to 70 percent of it is dependent on agriculture. With ever-increasing population over the last six decades, the country has become more vulnerable to climate change, which varies across regions and among social groups. Therefore, understanding the regional and local dimensions of vulnerability is extremely important to develop appropriate adaptation strategies. Also creating public awareness on climate change and its impacts on various agricultural production systems, the economy and the livelihoods of rural population is required to balance economic growth with resource conservation. All the partner countries of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) have accepted certain commitments and responsibilities for promoting and facilitating various educational, training and awareness programs at national / regional levels in accordance with their national laws and regulations. It has been observed that low-level awareness about climate change among the developing countries is of great th impediment for effective implementation of commitments. The 7 Conference of the parties to UNFCCC in Marrakesh has reiterated the need for capacity building of developing world to manage climate change efficiently. One of the programs under Article 6 of the UNFCCC envisages development and implementation of educational and public awareness programs on climate change and its effects. This would facilitate in capacity building of the developing countries to enable them to participate fully to implement their commitments effectively. In this endeavour, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has planned to conduct an Awareness Program on Climate Change among the farmers through its research centers of AICRP on Agrometeorology and AICRP for Dryland Agriculture, spread across the country (Fig. 1). The overall aim is to demonstrate the impacts of climate change on agriculture. The program was successfully completed during October 2008 at many locations by inviting 100 to 150 farmers from nearby villages and exposing them to different aspects of climate assessing their understanding on possible impacts of climate change on agricultural crops through posters and banners prepared specially for this purpose. The famous documentary on “The Inconvenient Truth” presented by Mr. Al-Gore, a Noble Prize Winner and an American Senator was shown