Media Research Journal (Madhyam Sanshodhan Patrika) ISSN 2249-5843

ROLE OF MEDIA IN CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AND

MITIGATION IN INDIAN AGRICULTURE SECTOR

Dhadwad M. B1. Rupali Gore2 Rathod K. S.3 and Narkhede M.B.4 (India)
1,2,4
Assistant Professor (Faculty of Social Sciences, WALMI, Aunrangabad ), 3 Assistant
Professor (Faculty of Agriculture, WALMI, Aunrangabad ) (India)

Abstract: Amongst others, the humankind in the today’s world faces two biggest
challenges: one is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and the other is to prepare to deal with the
impacts of climate change that are already inevitable due to existing levels of greenhouse gases
in the atmosphere. Research studies indicate that climate change can alter production,
productivity as well as farm economy of the Indian agriculture sector. As such, climate change
has serious implications for Indian agriculture as majority of the Indian population directly or
indirectly depends on it for their livelihood. Adoption of adaptation and mitigation measures and
technologies is essentially a decision making process which requires provision for necessary
information and knowledge about better farm management practices and appropriate
technologies. Farmer’s awareness and education and extension personnel’s sound understanding
are important foundations for better planned adaptations to the climate change. Awareness,
Education, and communication about climate change among these key stakeholders can
facilitate their capacity building and enable them to participate fully in climate change
adaptation and mitigation. Media can significantly improve these stakeholders access to
information and actively engage them in decision-making at policy level. Through, proper
awareness, and provision of information on suitable farm practices based on local needs and
interests’ media can help farmers to reduce their vulnerability to the climate change.
Key Words: Climate Change, Media, Agriculture
Introduction: Earth’s climate has been changing continuously throughout its history and
majority of life forms, including humans, adapted naturally to this change. However, recently
climate change as a global phenomenon has gained currency because of its pace of change and
the associated effects on human ecology and environment. Majority of climate change scientist
attribute this increased pace of climate change to the increased human activities, particularly
heavy use of fossil fuels and land use changes.
The speed at which climate change has occurred in the recent past due to dramatic rise in
greenhouse gases (GHG’s) particularly carbon dioxide (CO2) is alarming. Between 1970 and
2004, global GHG emissions are increased by 70 per cent (IPCC, 2007). The CO 2 concentration
in the atmosphere is now about 31 per cent higher than two hundred years ago and if this
continues to increase at the same rate it could nearly double by 2035 and may contribute
significantly towards global warming (IPCC, 2001). The concentration of methane (CH 4) in the
atmosphere has increased by 51 per cent during the same period; which is second to CO 2
regarding global warming (IPCC, 2001). Interestingly, agriculture sector is also one of the major
emitters of greenhouse gases. Intensive low land paddy cultivation and livestock farming lead to
emission of methane (CH4). Additionally, certain agricultural practices such as excessive use of
fertilizers and inappropriate organic waste management like biomass burning also contribute to
the build-up of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O).
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Media Research Journal (Madhyam Sanshodhan Patrika) ISSN 2249-5843

The most imminent result of this dramatic rise in greenhouse gases (GHG’s) in recent
times is the increase in atmospheric temperatures. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) in its Synthesis Report published in 2007 has concluded that the global average
temperature has increased by 0.740C and eleven of the last twelve years (1995-2006) rank
among the twelve warmest years in the instrumental record of global surface temperature since
1850. This is a clear indication of increased pace of climate change in recent years and if this
pace of changing climate is not halted or at least controlled, it could create enormous problems
for the Earth’s ecosystem as a whole.
As a result, amongst others, the humankind in the today’s world faces two biggest
challenges: one is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and the other is to prepare to deal with the
impacts of climate change that are already inevitable due to existing levels of greenhouse gases
in the atmosphere.
Methodology: This research article is mainly based on secondary data sources mostly from
scientific research journals and relevant websites. Research articles on climate change and its
impacts on Indian agriculture has been reviewed to assess the impacts of climate change on
agriculture sector. In this article, an attempt has been made to highlight the role of media in
empowering the key stakeholders to make informed decisions regarding adoption of adaptation
and mitigation measures in agriculture sector in India.
Climate Change and Indian Agriculture
Agriculture sector, particularly in developing countries like India, is more vulnerable to
climate change (IPCC, 2007). Research studies indicate that Indian agriculture will face more
negative effects of climate change than the positive ones and is more vulnerable than agriculture
in many other developed countries. It has been observed that there would be decrease in
production and productivity of certain crops like rice and wheat. For instance, with the use of
various crop models, it is estimated that rise in mean air temperature by 2 0C could decrease rice
yield by about 0.75 ton/hectare in the high yield areas and by about 0.06 ton/hectare in the low
yield coastal regions (Sharma, 2003). It is also observed that with increase in temperature by 1
to 2 0C, the grain yield in sorghum decreases by 7 to 12 per cent on an average and further
increase in temperature drastically reduces the potential yield by 18 to 24 per cent on an average
(Chatterjee, 1998). Similarly, it is projected that a 2 0C rise in mean temperature and a 7 per cent
increase in mean precipitation, agriculture in the coastal regions of Gujarat, Maharashtra and
Karnataka is likely to be affected negatively. Small losses are also indicated for the major food
grain-producing regions of Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh (Sharma, 2003). The
negative trends in solar radiation and increase in minimum temperature would also result in
declining trends of potential yield of rice and wheat in the Indo-Gangetic plains of India (Pathak
et al., 2003). Accumulated increase in minimum temperatures raises maintenance respiration
requirement of the crops and thus further reduces net growth and productivity (Aggarwal, 2003).
Also, the physiology of many widely grown crop species makes them particularly
sensitive to CO2 level in atmosphere and extreme temperatures. It is predicted that increase in
CO2 level in atmosphere would result in increased plant size and canopy density with high
nutritional quality foliage and micro-climates more conducive to developments of rusts,
mildews, leaf spots, and blights (Chakraborty et al., 2000). It is also observed that rise in
temperature up to 1 to 2 0C would increase the incidence of the rice stem borer. Thus, changes in
temperature and precipitation and their frequency of extreme events may influence disease and
pest outbreak, distribution and spread as well as its economic damage.

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Similarly, climate change can affect Indian farm economy negatively. For example, it is
predicted that for India the overall impacts due to climate change scenario for 2 0C rise in
temperature and 7 per cent increase in precipitation would result into loss of total farm level net
revenue by about 8.4 per cent (Kumar and Parikh, 1998). Similarly, with temperature rise of 2 0C
to 3.50C the loss in farm-level net revenue is estimated in the range of 9 per cent to 25 per cent
(Mall et al., 2006). There is also growing evidence that climate change do have implications for
drought vulnerable India with studies projecting future possible changes in patterns of monsoon
rainfall in the country.
Indian agriculture is already experiencing other stresses like the burden of feeding ever
increasing population, endemic poverty, ecosystem degradation, deepening level of water table,
fragmentation of landholding, limited accessibility to capital, volatility of market prices and
stagnation of food grain yield. Climate change may lead to increase in weed and pest incidence,
uncertain rainfall, frequent and sudden drought, cyclones and loss of biodiversity. Thus, the
vulnerability of Indian agriculture is likely to increase further. Therefore, climate change has
serious implications for Indian agriculture as majority of the Indian population directly or
indirectly depends on it for their livelihood.
Two main responses have emerged in recent decades to deal with climate change:
mitigation and adaptation. Mitigation refers to limiting climate change by reducing greenhouse
gas emissions. Adaptation refers to ‘the adjustment in natural or human systems in response to
actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial
opportunities’ (IPCC, 2007a). The severity of climate change vulnerability of Indian agricultural
sector depends on the extent to which it can adapt to changes in climate. Many farming
communities are successfully farming today under highly variable climatic conditions by
adapting autonomously and independently to such conditions. However, it is believed that the
benefits from such adaptations will decrease as average daily maximum temperature increases
(Howden and Crimp 2005). Therefore, adaptation will have to continue at an increased pace in
order to adeptly adjust to the 21st century impacts of climate change on agriculture.
Role of Media in Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change in Agriculture Sector:
Farmers will have to take decisions regarding planned adaptation measures. Successful
adaptation to climate change in agriculture sector depends on such decisions made by farmers
who are the key stakeholders in this sector. While influenced by their social and political
surroundings, ultimate decision-making authority concerning individual operations is retained
by the farmers (Polsky and Easterling, 2001). Therefore, engaging farmers along with policy
makers is crucial for reduction in vulnerability and for effective adaptation of Indian agriculture
to climate change. Similarly, it is also imperative to improve farmers’ adaptive capacity to
climate. Efforts are needed to enable them to cope with changing climate through provision of
appropriate measures, technologies and skills.
However, adoption of such measures and technologies is essentially a decision making
process and enabling farmers to make better decisions regarding planned adaptations requires
provision for necessary information and knowledge about better farm management practices and
appropriate technologies. In agriculture sector, effective adaptation to climate change will
depend upon improving farmers’ access to information and actively involving them in decision-
making along with diffusion of adaptation and mitigation technologies. Proper awareness,
adoption and diffusion of suitable farm practices based on local needs and interests can reduce
the farmer’s vulnerability to the climate change.

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But it is also worth remembering that public knowledge of the nature, causes and
consequences of climate change is low (Bord et al., 1998) and there are many common
misconceptions regarding climate change (Whitmarsh, 2009). There is a pervasive public
confusion about causes of climate change, its impacts and how climate change can be mitigated
(Read et al., 2010). Prevalence of this climate change illiteracy implies that only technological
breakthroughs will not be enough. Farmer’s awareness and education and extension personnel’s
sound understanding are important foundations for better planned adaptations to the climate
change. Awareness, education and communication about climate change among these key
stakeholders can facilitate their capacity building and enable them to participate fully in climate
change adaptation and mitigation. Therefore the first step in this direction should be to provide
access to scientific information and create awareness among these key stakeholders regarding
climate change and its impacts on agriculture. Media can significantly improve these
stakeholders access to information and actively engage them in decision-making at policy level.
Through, proper awareness, and provision of information on suitable farm practices based on
local needs and interests’ media can help farmers to reduce their vulnerability to the climate
change. Media can play significant role in bringing climate literacy among farming community
and extension personnel besides removing their misperceptions regarding different dimensions
of climate change and agriculture and thereby helping mitigation and adaptation to climate
change in agriculture sector in India.
Conclusion: Climate change has serious implications for Indian agriculture as vulnerability of
Indian agriculture is likely to increase further unless timely adaptation and mitigation measures
are adopted. It is necessary to enhance public knowledge of the nature, causes and consequences
of climate change in order to enable them to take informed decisions. Media can empower the
key stakeholders in agriculture sector to effectively deal with the adverse impacts of climate
change. Media can play significant role in bringing climate literacy among farming community
and extension personnel besides removing their misperceptions regarding different dimensions
of climate change and agriculture and thereby helping mitigation and adaptation to climate
change in agriculture sector in India.
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