Mitigation Strategies for Combating Climate Change in Maharastra

Abstract

Main focus of the present study is to analyse the current potential of various irrigation technologies adopted by farmers to mitigate crop risks inview of climate change. This also analyses important factors determining farmers' choice of specific technologies adopted by them, Findiangs of this study are based on the primary data clleted from 116 sample farmers of sholapur district of Maharastra. Current study revealed that the adopted irrication technologies have proved highly beneficial as farmers shifted from production of staple cereal food crops to demand-driven crops viz. vegetables and fruits. Adoption of drip or sprinkler irrigation system has significantly higher benefit-cost(B:C) ratio than convential irrigation metholdologies adopted usually by farmers. Fitting of Legit modelto the data revealed that the probability of adoption of irrigation technologies by farmers depends on benefit-cost(B:C) ratio, farm size, subsidy, access to credit and collective action undertabek by farmers, Salient outcome of the study is that overxploitation of groundwater shoudl be discouraged and water svaing techniques must be adopted to improve farm level efficiency.