CLIMATE CHANGE AND ITS ANTICIPATED IMPACTS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO INDIAN AGRICULTURE

Abstract

The present paper is an attempt to summarize the nature, magnitude and causes of climate
change, and its anticipated consequences for human society especially for agriculture.
Agriculture is itself responsible for an estimated one third of global warming and climate change.
It is generally agreed that about 25 per cent of the main greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, is
produced by agricultural sources. Our daily lives activities adversely contribute to the change in
the climate. Climate change is having impact on agriculture, tourism industries, ecosystems,
health etc. Climate change also affects the insurance and credit market for agriculture. Major
risks in Indian agriculture arising from climate change are decline in yields, increased farm
expenditure, reduced farm incomes and increased threat of food, drought, insecurity and
malnutrition. Significant negative impacts of climate change over time on Indian agriculture are
reduction of agriculture yields and fall in GDP growth up to 2% per annum.