Extension Strategies for Climate Resilient Agriculture in Eastern Himalayan

Abstract

Mountains are among the most vulnerable habitats on the planet Earth harbouring rich biodiversity. Climate change caused by anthropogenic forces has emerged as a major problem worldwide in terms of socioeconomic and environmental sustainability. Agriculture is generally regarded as a very vulnerable business to climate change, with extreme weather events posing an immediate threat to food security and livelihood sustainability. Globally, agricultural practices must adapt quickly to assure future food security in view of dual challenges of climate change and increasing population.

To make climate adaptation planning more robust, assessing resilience in different regions is vital for the development and scaling up of appropriate, site-specific interventions and policies that strengthen the resilience of agricultural system. Adaptation is critical for mitigating the harmful effects of climate change, particularly in the agricultural sector. This paper seeks to draw insights based on a multi-scalar and multi-indicator assessment analysis and debate through profiling of resilience in the Eastern Himalayan Regions of India, based on the development of a climate-resilient agriculture.

Farmers’ views and response to drastically changing climatic conditions are perceived as critical policy strategies that can possibly mitigate the adversities of climate change and simultaneously feed the increasing population. In this context, this paper systematically analyses farmer perception and adaptation strategies in India’s Eastern Himalayan region, from the jurisdiction of the Central Agricultural University, Imphal, Manipur, located across the seven sister states of North East India. Farmers in this region acknowledge climate change events such as temperature rise, unpredictable and decreased rainfall. They are receptive to a wide range of adaptation strategies, which are incremental and systemic. Transformational adaptations such as substantial changes in land use, cropping systems and adopting natural farming need further nudging by all stakeholders to ensure their acceptance by farmers as a long term intervention against climate change.

The paper reiterates the role of extension strategies in influencing adaptation of climate smart agriculture practices relevant to Eastern Himalayan region of India and emphasizes on the role of policy makers, agriculture institutions and farmers in efficient execution of these strategies in the target areas.