Climate Change and Indian Agriculture

Abstract

Climate change is one of the most significant challenges of the 21st century. It refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. While some of these shifts are natural, human activities have been the primary driver of climate change since the 1800s. Climate change in India is no longer a localized environmental issue but a defining economic variable. It has become an everyday reality having enormous consequences for food security and economic growth. Economic Survey (2025-26) revealed that the country has crossed a threshold and extreme weather has become near-daily occurrence impacting GDP by 4-6% annually. India is among the top 10 most climate-vulnerable nations globally. With substantial population dependent on agriculture for livelihood and increase in extreme weather days, erratic precipitation, erosion of productivity. India has a reason to be concerned about climate change, as a vast population depends on climate-sensitive sectors like agriculture, forestry and fishery for their livelihood. The adverse impact of climate change in the form of decline in rainfall and rise in temperature has resulted in increased severity of livelihood issues in the country. Climate driven migration is also emerging as a related trend. For instance, in coastal areas of Odisha and West Bengal, farmers are leaving agriculture due to increasing salinity and loss of arable land, contributing to growing populations of internal migrants who face new vulnerabilities. India stares at a disastrous scenario unless timely action plan and strategies are implemented to counter the effects of climate change.