 Nearly 700 million people living in rural India, with low adaptive capacities, have a direct and symbiotic dependence on climate sensitive natural resources (such as water, bio-diversity, mangroves, coastal zones, grasslands) for their subsistence and livelihoods. Limited options of alternative off-farm employment, combined with endemic poverty, continue to imperil the livelihood security of millions of small and marginal farmers, mainly in rain-fed agricultural regions.
The production regime in rain-fed agriculture is inherently fragile and is now getting aggravated due to the impact of climate change, leading to an increase in the frequency and intensity of droughts and floods. Climate change can severely impact the rural economy in more ways than one, including a potential threat to food security for the most vulnerable sections. |
