Climate-resilient strategies for sustainable management of water resources and agriculture

Warming of the earth is considered as the major adverse effect of climate change along with other abnormalities such as non-availability of water resources, decreased agriculture production, food security, rise in seawater level, glaciers melting, and loss of biodiversity. Over the years, decreased agriculture production and water quality degradation have been observed due to climatic abnormalities. Crop production is highly sensitive to climate. It gets affected by long-term trends in average rainfall and temperature, annual climate variations, shocks during different stages of growth, and extreme weather events. Globally, the areas sown for the major crops of barley, maize, rice, sorghum, soya bean, and wheat have all seen an increase in the percentage of area affected by drought as defined in terms of the Palmer Drought Severity Index since the 1960s, from approximately 5–10% to approximately 15–25%. Increase in temperature will be observed in terms of wheat yield losses − 5.5 ± 4.4% per degree Celsius for the United States, − 9.1 ± 5.4% per degree Celsius for India, and − 7.8 ± 6.3% per degree Celsius for Russia as these countries are more vulnerable to temperature increase. Water management through increasing storage capacity (or rainwater storage), fair policies for water supply and distribution, river health, and watershed management can reduce the negative effects of climate change on water resource availability. Similarly, climate change-resistant crop development, water management in irrigation, adapting climate-smart agriculture approach, and promoting indigenous knowledge can ensure the food security via increasing agricultural yield. Technical intervention can equip the farmers with the scientific analyses of the climatic parameters required for the sustainable agriculture management. These technologies may include application of software, nutrient management, water management practices, instruments for temperature measurement and soil health analysis etc. Holistic efforts of the stakeholders (farmers, local society, academia, scientists, policy makers, NGOs etc.) can provide better results to reduce the risks of climate change on agriculture and water resources as discussed in this paper. [Figure not available: see fulltext.].