Current Science

C. A. Rama Rao ¹, B. M. K. Raju ¹, A. V. M. Subba Rao ¹, K. V. Rao ¹, V. U. M. Rao ¹, Kausalya Ramachandran ¹, B. Venkateswarlu ², A. K. Sikka ³, M. Srinivasa Rao ¹, M. Maheswari ¹, Ch. Srinivasa Rao ¹

Affiliations
1 ICAR-Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, Hyderabad 500 059, IN
2 Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani 431 462, IN
3 Natural Resource Management Division, ICAR, New Delhi 110 012, IN

Abstract

Assessing vulnerability to climate change and variability is an important first step in evolving appropriate adaptation strategies to changing climate. Such an analysis also helps in targeting adaptation investments, specific to more vulnerable regions. Adopting the definition of vulnerability given by IPCC, vulnerability was assessed for 572 rural districts of India. Thirty eight indicators reflecting sensitivity, adaptive capacity and exposure were chosen to construct the composite vulnerability index. Climate projections of the PRECIS model for A1B scenario for the period 2021-2050 were considered to capture the future climate. The data on these indicators were normalized based on the nature of relationship. They were then combined into three indices for sensitivity, exposure and adaptive capacity, which were then averaged with weights given by experts, to obtain the relative vulnerability index. Based on the index, all the districts were divided into five categories with equal number of districts. One more district was added to 'very high' and 'high' categories. The analysis showed that districts with higher levels of vulnerability are located in the western and peninsular India. It is also observed that the highly fertile Indo-Gangetic Plains are relatively more sensitive, but less vulnerable because of higher adaptive capacity and lower exposure.

Keywords

Agriculture, Adaptive Capacity and Exposure, Climate Change, Sensitivity, Vulnerability.

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P. Vijaya Kumar ¹, A. V. M. Subba Rao ¹, M. A. Sarath Chandran ¹, H. Venkatesh ², V. U. M. Rao ¹, Ch. Srinivasa Rao ¹

Affiliations
1 ICAR-Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, Santoshnagar, Hyderabad 500 059, IN
2 AICRPAM-Vijayapura Center, University of Agricultural Sciences-Dharwad, Dharwad 580 018, IN

Abstract

Agromet Advisory Service (AAS) deals with extension agrometeorology and is defined as 'all agrometeorological and agro-climatological information that can be directly applied to improve and/or protect the livelihood of farmers'. AAS has been adopted at district level since 2008 by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and is continued even now.

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