Climate change impact harsher on poorer farmers in India: FAO report
Why in the news?
The FAO report highlights the disproportionate impact of climate change on India’s rural poor, especially from heat stress and floods.
Important Highlights of the Report
- Income Loss: Poor households lose an average of 5% of their income due to heat stress and 4.4% from floods each year, in contrast to wealthier families.
- Vulnerability of Farmers: The report, titled “The Unjust Climate,” highlights that India’s farming community is particularly susceptible to climate-related issues like droughts and floods.
- Resource Allocation: During droughts, impoverished households allocate more resources to agriculture because of limited off-farm employment opportunities.
- Impact of Structural Inequalities: Structural inequalities worsen the vulnerability of these households, resulting in lower overall incomes.
- Policy Recommendations: The report advocates for policy initiatives, such as enhancing social security and establishing anticipatory social protection programs.
- Livelihood Support: It suggests increasing livelihood assistance before extreme weather events and encouraging workforce diversification to alleviate poverty.
- Government Initiatives: In response, NITI Aayog emphasized India’s initiatives like the National Innovations on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) and employment guarantee schemes aimed at addressing climate change.Top of Form