Addressing the Potential Impacts of Climate Change and Variability on Agricultural Crops and Water Resources in Pennar River Basin of Andhra Pradesh

Abstract

The objective of the current study is to address the possible potential impacts of climate change and variability on agricultural crops and water resources in Pennar river basin, of Southern India. As part of the study Integrated Modelling Assessment (IMS) was developed by establishing functional links between hydrological model Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), agricultural crop simulation model Environmental Policy Integrated Climate (EPIC) and regional climate model Providing REgional Climates for Impacts Studies (PRECIS). Database pertaining to climatic parameters, hydrological and agro-meteorological inputs to run integrated assessment systems are synthesized to run the model for study area. The model in general aim at major driver of this study is HadRM3 (Hadley Centre third generation regional climate model)—The Hadley Center Regional Climate Models resolution, which is 0.44° × 0.44° (approx. 50 km cell–size) on ground covering an average size of typical Indian districts/sub-basins. For regional levels the results are obtained by aggregating from the sub-basin/district level. The assessment will include the following components: (1) Baseline climatology, (2) Under global warning HadRM3 derived climate change scenarios, (3) Water Resources (Hydrological) analysis including irrigation water, and (4) agro-meteorological analysis including soil-water regime, plant growth and cropping pattern. Overall in Pennar region results revealed that the mean annual flows in the river system would increase by 8 % in A2 and 4 % in B2 whereas, increase in evapotranspiration losses were found to be about 10 % in A2 and 12 % in B2. Impacts on crop yields is the combined effect of increased surface temperatures, decreased rainfall and higher ambient atmospheric CO₂. Three rain-fed crops (Groundnut, Sorghum, Sunflower) show decreased yields under A2, whereas B2 seemed to be relatively better than A2. The decrease is significant for groundnut (−38 % for A2 and −20 % for B2), but compared to groundnut impact were less detrimental for other two rain-fed crops (Sorghum and Sunflower). Rice being an irrigated crop in the region showed decrease in yield by −15 and −7 % for A2 and B2 scenarios respectively. Negative simulated crop yields in the region are predominantly due to increased surface temperatures in the future climate change scenarios.