Adaptation and Mitigation Strategies to Climate Change in Rainfed Areas

Abstract

Rainfed agriculture in India is practiced over 85 m.ha area, while the total net cultivated area is 142 m. ha. Though, rainfed agriculture contributes 44% of food gain production its contribution in coarse cereals, pulses, oilseeds and cotton is about 91%, 91%, 80% and 60% respectively. Significant amount of livestock population (66%) is also dependent on rainfed areas. The green revolution was the principal instrument in imparting dynamism to agricultural growth. Modern agricultural technology developed and extended since independence has contributed to unprecedented growth in the agricultural productivity in the country. Green revolution, however, mainly concentrated on the irrigated areas and therefore, by and large bypassed the rainfed regions till the 1970s. Rainfed agriculture is complex, diverse and risk prone and is characterized by low levels of agriculture productivity and low input usage resulting in nearly half the level of food grain yield compared to the irrigated region. Dependence on rainfall makes crops production considerably unstable in rainfed areas, which are the habitat of the bulk of rural poor and livestock in the country. Rainfed areas are further subjected to large scale soil degradation problem and rapid depletion of ground water tables which may further deteriorate the production levels in these thirsty and unhealthy soil conditions. There are technologies available for stepping up the productivity and production levels in the rainfed areas in a sustainable manner. In order to exploit the available potential for stability and growth of agricultural production and to achieve the various national objectives like reduction in regional inequalities and poverty, creation of income generating and productive employment opportunities and improvement of ecological balance a systematic and strategic approach is required for holistic development of rainfed areas.