An evaluation of climate resilient agricultural practices in India: a narrative synthesis of literature

Global climate change is clearly visible in the form of changing temperatures, an increase in the frequency of severe storms, heat waves, melting ice sheets, etc. Agriculture, being a vulnerable system, is overwhelmed by the impacts of climate change, such as changing temperature, rainfall patterns and the occurrence of extreme events, including floods and drought. Resilience of agricultural system includes both low greenhouse gas emitting practices and the capacity to adapt to the changing climate to retain the health and productivity of the system. Depending on the pattern and magnitude of climate change impacts on the agricultural system, several adaptive measures are taken by the farmers and concerned authorities across India. The objective of this study is to understand the existing adaptive measures adopted to address the advancing climatic risks and build resilience. A systematic review of relevant literature was conducted by selecting peer-reviewed full-text documents from the databases available online, considering a set of eligibility and exclusion criteria (e.g.- non-English, non-peer-reviewed, etc.). The records were identified through database searching ( n = 110) and from other forms ( n = 25). Inference has also been made from a wide range of non-reviewed articles that didn’t qualify for the review but have substantial reference information. Distinctive adaptation practices were identified and organised based on the percentage of their implementation under different categories across the country. The paper also discusses the barriers against the implementation of adaptive measures and knowledge gaps in climate-resilient practices, which emerge as a challenge in establishing the practices as a stalwart effort to reduce climate change impacts. The adopted practices are sporadically validated with drivers for adoption, status and their effectiveness. The findings suggest more empirical investigations to identify practices to understand their efficiency, adoption pathways, scientific validation as long-term solutions and support (institutional, financial etc.) required for successful adoption. Such knowledge is of paramount importance in planning for the constantly aggravating consequences of climate change.