Agriculture – South Asia
South Asia is still predominantly an agrarian society, where a majority of the population is dependent on agriculture for their livelihoods. Rural poverty is higher than urban poverty, reflecting the heavy dependence on natural resources that are directly influenced by changes in weather and climate. However, as What’s in it for South Asia examines, food insecurity related to climate change will also affect urbanising South Asia. The urban poor could experience rises in food prices, as happened in 2007–2008 while certain categories of urban dwellers, such as urban wage labourers, could be particularly vulnerable.
Adaption in South Asia promotes sustainable agricultural practices and appropriate technologies, innovation to address shorter growing seasons, extreme temperatures, droughts and floods, and strategies for dealing with water shortages, food security and loss of livelihoods. What’s in it for South Asia highlights how future policies for adapting to climate change could build on the local and indigenous coping strategies of farmers who have been adapting to climatic risks for generations. Breeding crop varieties suited to high temperatures could also be a promising option for adapting to climate change in South Asia.
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[Extended teaser style=”wide” icon=”download” title=”Farmer in Nepal” subtitle=”Courtesy of Neil Palmer/CIAT” image=”https://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/NepalNP1-300×198.jpg” description=”Farmer in Beora, Nepal, tends to her produce ” url=”https://cdkn.org/resource/female-farmer-nepal/” linkname=”View and download image”]
