Prof B N Tripathi
vcskuastjammu@gmail.com
Climate change has ceased to be a distant scientific term; it has become a lived reality for farmers across India. When rains concentrate into hours rather than days, steep slopes fail, gullies widen, and agricultural terraces collapse. The recent heavy rains, cloudbursts, and landslides in the hilly regions of Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, coupled with flooding in the plains of Punjab, have once again reminded us how fragile our agricultural systems are when faced with nature’s unpredictability. In the hill districts of these states, mudslides have swept away fields, orchards, and access roads. In many areas, soils have been stripped from slopes and re-deposited downstream, altering soil profiles and fertility. In the plains like Punjab, sudden releases of catchment waters and unprecedented river flows have submerged thousands of hectares of standing crops, burying seedbeds under silt and sand and rendering fields unusable for a season or more.
Livestock, the often-overlooked casualty of such disasters, also suffer severely. Reports from affected hill districts indicate thousands of large animals and tens of thousands of poultry lost to floods, landslides, and disease outbreaks that follow when shelters and fodder stores are destroyed. These losses are not mere statistics; they are direct blows to rural livelihoods. Livestock are savings, nutrition, and labour for smallholders not simply “assets” on a balance sheet. When animals drown or starve, farm families lose their safety net, and recovery becomes much harder.
What farmers sometimes forget, and must not, is that many of these losses can be reduced through practical, locally appropriate tools and planning. The discussion on climate change in agriculture must move beyond abstract debate to the three operational pillars of action: resilience, mitigation, and adaptation. Resilience means preparing to absorb shocks; mitigation involves reducing one’s contribution to global warming where possible; and adaptation means adjusting agricultural practices to fit the new climate reality. These concepts are interlinked and together form the foundation for climate-smart farming.
Diversification remains one of the strongest pillars of resilience. Farmers who depend on a single crop are more vulnerable to total loss. Integrating horticultural crops, fodder species, or short-duration vegetables helps sustain income when the main crop fails. Similarly, integrated farming systems (IFS) which combine crops, livestock, fisheries, and forestry spread risk and make better use of available resources. For instance, integrating dairy or poultry with crop farming can ensure year-round income and nutrient cycling within the farm. Conservation agriculture is another important approach. Practices such as minimal tillage, crop residue management, contour farming, and maintaining ground cover reduce soil erosion and improve moisture retention. These methods are especially vital in the hilly regions of Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal, where soil loss from runoff is a serious problem. In the foothills, contour bunding and vegetative barriers can prevent nutrient-rich topsoil from being washed away during heavy rains. Bioengineering measures such as grassed waterways and small check dams further help stabilize slopes and recharge groundwater.
Resilience also comes from using improved seed varieties and crop choices suited to changing climatic conditions. Drought-tolerant and flood-resistant rice varieties, short-duration pulses, and hybrid maize can help stabilize production in erratic weather. Farmers should take advantage of agromet advisories issued by institutions like the India Meteorological Department and agricultural universities. These advisories, when followed, guide farmers on when to sow, irrigate, or spray, helping them avoid peak risk periods and minimize potential losses.
Beyond individual farm practices, community preparedness plays a critical role in climate adaptation. Farmer groups, cooperatives, and panchayats can develop local disaster response plans that identify safe shelters for livestock, store fodder for emergencies, and maintain community funds for immediate post-disaster recovery. With mobile-based weather alerts now easily accessible, farmers can take timely action moving animals to higher ground or delaying fertilizer applications ahead of forecasted heavy rains. Local-level coordination during disasters reduces losses dramatically and builds long-term resilience.
Policy support is equally essential, as the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) provides a financial cushion to many farmers facing crop loss from natural calamities. However, the scope of such schemes must be expanded to integrate livestock and property insurance under a single framework. A comprehensive “climate risk insurance” product that covers crops, animals, and basic farm infrastructure would be a game changer for rural India. Importantly, livestock insurance in India currently does not fully cover flooding, despite floods being a leading cause of livestock mortality. This gap must be addressed urgently as a policy priority. Additionally, incentives for adopting sustainable practices like zero tillage, organic mulching, and agroforestry can encourage wider climate adaptation. In hilly areas, where scattered holdings make collective action difficult, government agencies and NGOs should promote cluster-based adaptation programs that help smallholders pool resources and implement soil and water conservation measures jointly.
For hill farmers, the key to resilience lies in maintaining land stability and securing diversified income sources. Repairing terraces, planting deep-rooted grasses along slopes, and cultivating high-value off-season vegetables or medicinal plants can simultaneously reduce erosion and boost income. Small-scale rainwater harvesting structures such as percolation tanks or rooftop systems can ensure water availability even during erratic rainfall periods. In the foothills and plains, drainage management, raised platforms for livestock, and improved flood forecasting systems should be integral to agricultural planning and extension advice.
Learning to live with climate change does not mean surrendering to it; it means preparing wisely for its consequences. Farmers, policymakers, scientists, and communities must come together with the understanding that climate change is not an occasional disturbance but the new normal. By adopting adaptive farming practices, using insurance tools effectively, and demanding stronger coverage for livestock and farm infrastructure, we can move toward a more resilient rural economy. The future of farming in regions like Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Punjab will depend not just on what we grow, but on how well we protect it. A resilient farmer is not one untouched by adversity but one who learns from every challenge and rises stronger, wiser, and better prepared for the next season.
(The author is Vice Chancellor Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu)
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