OAR@ICRISATIncreased arid and semi-arid areas in India with associated shifts during 1971-2004A V R KRaoauthorS PWaniauthorK KSinghauthorM IAhmedauthorKSrinivasauthorS DBairagiauthorORamadeviauthorClimate change is one of the major challenges in 21st century faced by Agriculture in India, more so in the Semi-Arid Tropics (SAT) of the country. In recent years, natural and anthropogenic factors have impacted climate variability and contributed to a large extent to climate change. Based on one degree gridded data of India Meteorological Department (IMD) for 34 years (1971-2004), climatic water balances are computed for 351 pixels in India and used for classifying in to six climate types following Thornthwaite’s moisture regime classification and areas falling under different climatic zones in India are delineated. Considerable changes in the country’s climate area observed between the two periods; 1971-90 and 1991-2004. Increased semi-arid area by 8.45 M ha in five states viz., Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Punjab, and decreased semi-arid area by 5 M ha in eleven states, contributed to overall increase in SAT area of 3.45 M ha in the country.Overall, there has been a net reduction of 10.71 M ha in the dry sub-humid area in the country. Results indicated that dryness and wetness are increasing in different parts of the country in the place of moderate climates existing earlier in these regions. ICRISAT’s Hypothesis of Hope through Integrated Genetic and Natural Resources Management (IGNRM) using climate ready crops and Integrated Watershed Management could be a potential adaptation strategy by bridging the yield gaps for developing climate resilient agriculture in the country.Agriculture-Farming, Production, Technology, EconomicsClimate Change2013Association of AgrometeorologistsArticle

For work being deposited by its own author: In self-archiving this collection of files and associated bibliographic metadata, I grant OAR@ICRISAT the right to store them and to make them permanently available publicly for free on-line. I declare that this material is my own intellectual property and I understand that OAR@ICRISAT does not assume any responsibility if there is any breach of copyright in distributing these files or metadata. (All authors are urged to prominently assert their copyright on the title page of their work.)

For work being deposited by someone other than its author: I hereby declare that the collection of files and associated bibliographic metadata that I am archiving at OAR@ICRISAT) is in the public domain. If this is not the case, I accept full responsibility for any breach of copyright that distributing these files or metadata may entail.

Clicking on the deposit button indicates your agreement to these terms.