Digital Climate Atlas and 15 Years of NICRA

Digital Climate Atlas launch

Digital Climate Atlas and 15 Years of NICRA: The Atlas of Climate Adaptation in Indian Agriculture (ACASA-India) has been launched as a national digital platform to support farmers and policymakers in climate planning. It marks 15 years of National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA).

The platform supports location-specific, data-driven adaptation strategies. It focuses on improving climate preparedness in Indian agriculture through scientific risk mapping.

Institutional collaboration

ACASA-India has been developed by the ICAR-led National Agricultural Research and Extension System (NARES). It is created in collaboration with the Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA) and CIMMYT.

This partnership links Indian agricultural research with global climate-resilient farming expertise. The model strengthens institutional capacity for climate-smart decision-making.

Static GK fact: ICAR was established in 1929 and functions under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

Purpose of ACASA-India

The platform enables climate adaptation planning at the local level. It provides climate risk insights to farmers, researchers, and government agencies.

The data will guide future investment planning for climate risk mitigation. It also supports scaling climate-resilient agricultural technologies across regions.

NICRA programme background

NICRA was launched in 2011 by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). Its core objective is to strengthen the resilience of Indian agriculture to climate change.

The programme focuses on validating and demonstrating climate-resilient technologies directly on farmers’ fields. It connects scientific research with real-world farming systems.

Static GK Tip: India is among the top five climate-vulnerable agricultural economies globally due to monsoon dependency.

Climate Resilient Agriculture concept

Climate Resilient Agriculture (CRA) refers to adaptation and mitigation practices that strengthen agricultural systems. The goal is to withstand climate shocks and recover rapidly.

CRA integrates water conservation, resilient cropping systems, soil management, and risk diversification. It creates stability in both production and income.

Economic and livelihood risks

Climate change is projected to reduce agricultural yields by 4.5% to 9.0%. This could lead to around 1.5% GDP loss annually.

About 57% of rural households in India depend on farming for livelihood. Climate instability directly threatens income security and employment.

Rainfed agriculture vulnerability

Nearly 51% of India’s net sown area is rainfed. This rainfed region contributes about 40% of national food production.

Such areas are highly sensitive to monsoon variability, droughts, and extreme weather events. Climate risk directly affects national food stability.

Static GK fact: India has 15 agro-climatic zones, each with different climate vulnerability profiles.

Food security implications

Climate stress increases risks of undernourishment, child malnutrition, and micronutrient deficiency. Agricultural instability directly impacts nutrition security.

Climate-resilient planning through platforms like ACASA-India supports long-term food system stability and nutritional resilience.

Static Usthadian Current Affairs Table

Digital Climate Atlas and 15 Years of NICRA: